And Baby Makes Four
by simply woven
Summary: Sequel to 'Extra Baggage' Kerry and Kim are together and have started a family...AU to series, but takes place in season 14*.
1. Prologue

_**Foreword:** This is a sequel to Extra Baggage. To get a gist of what's going on, it'd probably be helpful to read that. You could probably take this as a standalone, but I think it'd be more enjoyable to know what went on beforehand. Whatever floats your fanfiction boat, though._

_This starts about 8 Months after the last chapter of Extra Baggage._

The NICU was precisely as Kerry remembered it from the year prior, when Joe had been so incredibly sick. Multiple monitors, though miniature in size, beeped evenly and loudly and nurses and residents talked without keeping any tabs on the volume of their voices and parents sat at their babies' sides.

This time, however, reminded her more of Henry's stay four years prior than it did Joe's; this time, it wasn't her very dear friends' child inside the small, fish tank-like baby warmer, this time, it was hers.

At 34 weeks, six weeks too early, Kim's water had broken and she had gone into a fast, progressive labor. They had had enough time to check into the OB/GYN unit, and magnesium was injected into Kim via IV in hopes to slow everything down, but there was no stopping the inevitable; after a long, tiring, and increasingly painful four hours on Kim's part, the magnesium drip was pulled and replaced with a cocktail of steroids in hopes to improve the babies lungs. At that point, Kim was turned into a sitting position and the long needle was inserted into her back and the catheter for the epidural was threaded and taped in place. A while thereafter, at around 2:39 A.M. on November 15th, 2007, Rylee Alexandra Legaspi-Weaver was born, weighing in at four pounds six ounces. Tears were shed throughout and before either Kim or Kerry could see their daughter, she was placed in the open incubator and worked on by a crowd of doctors and residents. Kerry, who was standing at Kim's head gripping her hand, had an instant case of déjà vu; she was too quiet just as Henry had been too quiet. The horrible, anxiety-filled quiet lasted until, finally, the tiniest noise came from the incubator; Kerry wasn't sure if she could consider it a cry, as it was so incredibly quiet and strained, but she knew it was better than hearing nothing at all. Right away, without a single word to Kerry or Kim, the residents from the NICU closed the incubator in on their daughter and wheeled her away quickly.

As soon as Kim was able, she and Kerry went to the NICU, where their daughter resided and was hooked up to multiple tubes and machines. Dr. Raab, the department head, went on to explain their daughter's poor condition, though it was evident only Kerry was truly listening; Kim was too engulfed in the slight form of the baby's body and the smallness of her feet and hands and the mask that was basically breathing for her. With a squeeze on Kim's shoulder, Jane Raab left the couple. At that point, Kerry knelt down next to Kim's wheelchair with an unnoticed grimace. She took Kim's hands in her own and directed the blonde's attention towards herself. Kim looked at her blankly, her blue eyes dull.

"She has a good chance, hon." Kerry said, her thumb stroking Kim's. "Six weeks early is not good, we both know that, but she is doing well for her prematurity already." She said softly, hoping to reassure both Kim and herself. Kerry looked Kim right in the eye, sad green eyes meeting desperate blue ones. "She's your daughter. She's strong."

Kim nodded slowly as her façade crumbled and tears began pouring from her eyes. She leaned down, her head in her hands, and Kerry reached over, cradling her wife.

Kim's meltdown seemed to erase her barrier, though she was, with good reason, nowhere near her normal, cheerful self. Over the next few days of intense monitoring and testing, she remained lackluster and drained.

"I haven't even held my own daughter." Kim said to Kerry as they drove to the hospital on the seventh day since Rylee's birth. Kerry knew the emotional strain was what was killing Kim inside; she had carried this being for 34 weeks and, seven days after bringing that being into the world, she still had only been able to get as close as the incubator would allow. At that remark, an exhausted Kerry could only hold Kim's hand a little tighter.

Over the course of Rylee's second and third weeks on Earth, a pair of very, very large milestones were met: she began breathing regularly on her own and was taken off the ventilator that had helped her lungs do their job and she had gained nearly half a pound and was steadily gaining more. During those three weeks, Kim was in the NICU every day while Kerry was present nearly every moment she could spare while working reduced hours and taking care of Henry.

By one month, Rylee's once bald head had sprouted small tufts of ginger colored hair and she had made drastic improvements; she was breathing completely and totally on her own, was taking a bottle by mouth, and was weighing in at a fair six pounds, ten ounces.

"Of course, she'll need to be monitored, but she's met all of the requirements to be released." Raab said, her eyes flickering back and forth between Kim, who was bottle feeding Rylee in a rocker, and Kerry, who sat by their side. A delighted, though slightly timid, smile spread across Kim's face and she looked at Kerry, who met her gaze with an equally as pleased expression. They glanced back at Dr. Raab in unison and their fellow doctor grinned, a rare occurrence for the woman, as well. "She's a fighter, that one." She said as she went off to get discharge papers.

A day later, Rylee went home for the very first time.

In the beginning, the days were long and the nights were longer, but with Kim on maternity leave and Kerry taking an extended absence, the feedings that were scheduled for every four hours were nearly easy and, after the first three months of Rylee being home, the feeding times were more spread out and the household was functioning relatively smoothly.

One particular night, when Kerry had successfully gotten Rylee to sleep in the nursery next to their room and Kim had put Henry down after only one bedtime story, the two fell, exhausted, into bed. "Are we meeting at Rye's appointment tomorrow or are you going to come home first?" Kim asked, rolling onto her side to face Kerry.

Kerry rubbed her eyes underneath her glasses. "I'll swing home first and we can pick Henry up from school afterwards." She replied, unintentionally adding a yawn at the end.

Consequentially, Kim yawned as well. "Alright." She said, reaching out to the table behind her and shutting off the light. Through the dark, she spoke to Kerry. "G'night."

Kerry removed her glasses and her heavy eyelids fell. "Love you." She murmured sleepily.

"Love you too." And with that, they both fell asleep until the cries of a hungry baby pulled Kim out of bed early the next morning.

At Rylee's four-month check up, she weighed in at twelve pounds, six ounces and measured 25 inches long. As Rylee's pediatrician, Dr. Gloria Kramer, performed a quick physical exam, she asked Kerry and Kim a handful of questions, most of required a simple yes or no answer. "And she was tested for her hearing as a newborn, right?" Gloria asked.

Kerry glanced at Kim then responded. "Not that we know of…that's something that would be in her history, right?" She asked.

Dr. Kramer nodded and began flipping through the manila folder to her left. Her left finger ran down the page in front of her and stopped. "Alright…it looks like she hasn't been screened yet. That's not a problem; we can take care of the right now." She said. "I'm going to go have a word with our audiologist and see if we can't have that arranged." The woman said, handing Rylee back to Kim.

Kim looked at Kerry, a nervous look splayed across her face. Kerry shook her head and patted Kim's knee. "It's going to be find, Kim."

A half hour later, Kerry was seated with Rylee in her arms as Kim paced back and forth in front of them. "Kim, calm down." Kerry said softly.

Kim stopped in her tracks and leaned against the raised exam table, her foot tapping rhythmically on the tiled floor. "I'm sorry…I just- I know I shouldn't feel this way- I just have a bad feeling." She said through foot taps.

Kerry stood up and moved towards Kim. "It's okay. No matter what, it'll be okay." She said calmly.

Kim nodded just as the door behind them clicked open. The pair turned around as Gloria came through the door. The woman's face looked different and Kim's stomach instantly lurched.

In the end, Kim's maternal instinct had been right; Rylee had, in one form or another, severe hearing loss. "We won't know anything more until we have a full diagnostic test." Dr. Kramer attempted to reassure Kerry and Kim. Kerry tried to smile and Kim remained silent, her face emotionless. So, they scheduled an appointment with audiology for the next week and, besides the revelation, Rylee had an absolutely clean bill of health and was right up to speed developmentally.

Kerry and Kim had decided, between leaving the hospital and picking up Henry, that they wouldn't tell anyone until they knew exactly what their daughter's diagnosis was. So, for the rest of the week, they plastered on convincing smiles and went about business as normal. However, it was during the rare moments they were together alone that they let down their guards.

"What if she is…" Kim began as she and Kerry undressed for bed. She couldn't seem to get the word out.

"If she's Deaf?" Kerry asked as she pulled her sweater over her head. Kim nodded. "Well, what if she is Deaf? I mean, there generally isn't anything to be done to fix it…" she said matter-of-factly, adding emphasis on the word fix.

Kim turned around from where she was disrobing. She wasn't sure how Kerry could be so comfortable with the whole thing. "But how is she going to, you know…" She was searching for words, attempting to convey her fear to Kerry. She was frustrated that she couldn't explain her feelings to Kerry.

Kerry raised an eyebrow conspicuously. "How is she going to what? Function?" She asked, her temper bubbling slightly.

Kim nodded quickly. "Well, yeah." She said.

Kerry's head was tilted now and her eyes were narrowed ever so slightly. "Are you saying that, if our daughter is Deaf, she won't be able to function properly in the world?" Kerry asked, her words coming out slowly in a monotone voice.

Kim sighed in frustration. "No...well, yes….but no."

"Well then what do you mean, Kim?" Kerry exploded. "Is it because she may not be 'normal'?" she asked, adding air quotes around normal. "Is it because she may be different from the other kids in her class? Are you afraid that she's going to be teased, treated differently?" With each rhetorical question, her voice became louder and louder.

At the end of Kerry's rant, Kim knew why the older woman was so unsettled by Kim's worries and, mentally, she slapped herself. "No, no…Kerry, not at all. That's not it." Kim said pleadingly. When Kerry didn't respond, she took the redhead's hands and pulled her over to their bed, sitting her down on the edge next to her. Once she composed herself, Kim spoke. "When you're expecting a child, regardless of whether or not you're carrying her, you assume that that child is going to be absolutely perfect, a carbon copy of Christ himself, and that nothing will be wrong." She explained. "It's scary, finding out that our daughter, who has already been through enough, might be Deaf. I'm afraid of what struggles she may have to face." Kim said, peering into Kerry's eyes. The green orbs in front of her had softened since their argument began, she noted. Suddenly, Kerry's face fell.

"I'm sorry, Kim…" she said, her voice quivering as she began to cry. "It's just…I'm scared that she...I don't want her to have to…" She couldn't get the words out as soft sobs took over.

Kim wrapped her arms around Kerry, her chin fitting perfectly on top of Kerry's head. She didn't need Kerry to finish the statement; she knew that Kerry was terrified of Rylee having to face the discrimination she had dealt with for the first forty-some years of her life. "It's okay, Ker…I understand."

****On Thursday of the next week, Kerry and Kim brought Rylee back to County to meet with audiologist. After a handful of tests, they got back the results that no parent, no matter how loving and caring, wants to get: Rylee had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss which meant that she had a permanent hearing loss in both ears that was probably a side effect of her prematurity. In laments terms: Rylee was permanently and profoundly Deaf.

* * *

Thanks to **mkylsmth** for keeping my 'company' as i wrote this between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning, x.

Anything I didn't know medical-wise I researched, but the internet isn't always truthful, so I'm not claiming all the information is correct. The coming chapters are probably not going to be as dramatic...I just wanted to set up what was going on and get off to a good, informed start. Like I said, I wrote this in the wee hours of the morning. It might be rubbish, for all I know.

Hope you enjoyed.


	2. March 24th, 2007

_I accidentally wrote past Henry's birthday without any mention of it. So he's five, and this takes place the Thursday that the last chapter ended on._

_March 24th, 2007_

"Is she still going cry?" Henry asked from where he sat on Kim's lap. She and Kim had just told Henry about their findings at Rylee's audiology appointment earlier that day and had explained that that was the way God had made her, regardless of the fact that, in fact, her hearing loss was due to her premature birth. He had thought for a moment, taking it all in, before he asked a question. He asked a few more, all of them relatively serious, until he asked that one. Kim could only laugh; Rylee didn't even cry that much to begin with.

Kerry chuckled slightly and nodded, holding Rylee's bottle closer to her small mouth. "Yep…there's no escaping that." She said.

Henry nodded slowly before his eyes lit up. "Is she going to sign?" he asked, the excitement overflowing through his voice.

Kerry and Kim locked eyes; they hadn't talked about what path they were going to choose, yet. They both knew where the other stood, though; while Kerry was completely for emerging their daughter in the Deaf community, Kim was more hesitant about foregoing all medical intervention. Kim looked back at Henry, who was waiting patiently for an answer. "We still have some things to decide, bud." She said, ruffling his hair.

Kerry changed the subject before Henry could ask questions to which they had no answers. "I think it's time for some little children to have a bath." She said, glancing at Rylee then at Henry.

Henry huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not little! I'm five!" He said. Kim laughed and threw her arms around Henry from behind, kissing his neck so quickly and hastily that he was instantly dissolved in a fit of laughter. "Okay! Okay!" He giggled. "Will you give me a bath?" He asked, eyeing Kim.

Kim nodded and got up, hoisting the five year old up with her. "Of course, buddy….I think Mommy wants a little bonding time with Rye, anyway." With that, Kim put Henry back on the floor and they headed upstairs.

Kerry looked down at Rylee just as the infant pulled her head away from her mother's chest, glancing around. Kerry grinned and kissed the crown of her soft head, directing the baby's attention towards her. "Hi sweetie." She said, exaggerating her facial expressions. The infant cracked a happy smile. "Alright, let's go have ourselves a sink bath…" Kerry said, walking towards the kitchen with Rylee in her arms.

Kerry bathed Rylee downstairs as Kim did the same to Henry upstairs and, after a short amount of time, Rylee was soundly asleep in her crib and Henry was tucked in his bed. Kerry and Kim met back up in the kitchen, Kerry going over a stack of papers at the breakfast bar as Kim put away the dishes that had been sitting in the dishwasher. "When are we going to talk about it?" Kim asked as she brought three cups to a cupboard.

Kerry peered over the medical student evaluation in front of her. "How about now?" She said, setting the paper down and pulling her glasses from her face. Kim nodded and hoisted herself up onto the counter, her legs dangling. Kerry rested her head in one hand. "She's barely in the aidable range." Kerry said matter-of-factly.

Kim glanced downwards then back at Kerry. "But she's still a candidate for amplification." Kim said, her tone just on the edge of argumentative.

Kerry tried her hardest to stay calm and neutral. "Do you have any feelings about sign language? You know, not going the auditory/oral route…" She asked.

Kim shrugged; it was a hard subject to tiptoe around, but she felt she needed to with Kerry's own strong, understandable views on disability and diversity. "Why should we limit her?" Kim asked.

Kerry shook her head. "It's not limiting her." She began. "We don't live in a hearing world, Kim; we live in a communicating world…she can't hear, but that doesn't mean she can't communicate. She has very, very little residual hearing, Kim…"

Kim nodded slowly. "So…are you saying we aren't going to look at cochlear?" Kim asked.

Kerry's eyes got wide. "I didn't know we were even considering that!" Kerry exclaimed, her emotions getting the better of her. She remembered back when Peter Benton's son, Reese, had been diagnosed so many years ago he had considered cochlear implants for him; she was strongly against them, always had been and always would be.

Kim held up her hands defensively. "I'm just looking at all of our options, Ker."

Kerry shook her head. "Cochlear implants are not an option."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "You want to tell me why?" She asked, her tone stern and challenging.

"You want me to tell you why I'm against destroying Rylee's residual hearing so we can artificially fix something that she was born with?" Kerry asked as she gesticulated widly with her hands.

Kim narrowed her eyes. "Artificially fix something that she was born with…" she mimicked. "Kind of like what you did?" She said, her voice even and cold. At that, Kerry was speechless. She only shook her head and stepped down from the barstool, gathered her papers and began towards the stairs. Kim groaned in frustration. "Kerry, wait! That came out wrong…" She said, going after the redhead. She met up with Kerry on the stairs and grabbed her hand. "Kerry, stop. I'm sorry, that was inexcusable and uncalled for." She said, turning Kerry around so she was facing her. "I'm sorry." She repeated in all sincerity.

Kerry nodded somberly. "Yeah, that was uncalled for." She agreed. "But I'm sorry too…we need to be able to talk about this civilly." She said.

Kim agreed and they moved their conversation from the stairs to thei r bedroom, shutting the door behind them and turning the baby monitor on. They talked as they readied for bed.

"Why not fix something that's fixable?" Kim asked as she brushed her teeth.

Kerry popped out her left contact and responded. "She doesn't need to be fixed…being Deaf is not fatal, it's not an incredibly debilitating ailment." She said, placing her contact lens inn its case before moving on to the next.

Kim spat into the sink; she knew that Kerry was not going negotiate the cochlear idea. "Okay…what about hearing aids?" she asked before she began to brush her teeth again.

Kerry rinsed off her hands and grabbed her own toothbrush. "That's definitely an option…I think that we should get in touch with the audiologist again…see what he says." She said.

Kim nodded as she rinsed her toothbrush. "I'll call tomorrow." She said as she walked behind Kerry, towards their bedroom.

Kerry soon joined her wife, sliding in between the sheets and pulling the heavy comforter up to her chin. Kim rolled over when Kerry got in bed, facing the older woman. "Why did you learn how to sign, anyway?" Kim asked.

"I took a course in college." Kerry shrugged. "I don't know why I did, but I really enjoyed it."

Kim nodded. "Ironic, isn't it? Or coincidental, maybe…" Kim said, pushing away a stray red hair from Kerry's face.

Kerry shrugged. "Or maybe it's fate."

* * *

**A/N:** I don't plan on writing until five o'clock in the morning this time, but I do plan on updating soon! Please, review; I love hearing from my readers regardless of whether or not they enjoyed it!


	3. April 24th, 2007

_I don't like what ER did to Abby and Luka and everyone in the 14th season…so disregard the fact that this chapter and that season were the same year; we're still in the time of relative happiness._

_1 Month Later_

Kerry slipped Rylee's arms through her green sweater and settled it on her small shoulders then checked her hearing aids, making sure that the violet-colored earhook was snug and that the matching earmold was in place. When she was satisfied with where the audiologist had placed them at the end of Rylee's appointment, she picked up her daughter and put her in her car seat, buckling her in and securing the loose straps. "You're still a little munchkin…" Kerry said. She wasn't just saying that, either; Rylee was still small, even considering her prematurity, and the harness of her car seat had to be pulled especially tight to fit her body. Kerry put her own coat on and left the audio's office, planning on heading out to her car. As she walked down the wide corridor, she stopped and turned around, heading for the elevator instead.

There had been no one in the elevator as she headed down from the fifth floor, and she took that as a sign that the ER might, just might, be slow. Luckily, she was right.

Kerry walked over to the admit desk, Rylee's car seat in her right hand, and was instantly greeted by Abby.

"Well, look who came for a visit." Abby said as Kerry placed Rylee's car seat on top of the desk top after the pair exchanged a warm, friendly hug. "She's still so tiny." Abby cooed as Rylee wrapped her hand around the woman's index finger. After a moment Abby glanced at Kerry, back at Rylee, then back at Kerry. "Would it be weird to say she looks like you?" Abby asked, smiling.

Kerry chuckled. "Kim said the same thing." Kerry's eyes wandered as Abby continued to make one-way small talk with Rylee. She scanned the ER, noting the lack of patients. "Have you been this slow all day?" She asked, looking back at Abby.

Abby nodded. "Doesn't hurt, though…nearly everyone who isn't here has the flu."

Kerry peeled her eyes away from the rest of the floor and looked back at her daughter, who had drawn yet another admirer. Sam, now with an even darker shade of brown hair than the last time Kerry had seen her, was standing next to Abby, a smile spread across her face, as well. "Dr. Weaver, she's so precious!" Sam exclaimed as she dropped a chart off and grabbed a paper, heading back towards an exam room in a hurry.

Kerry laughed and unbuckled the straps that held her daughter into the seat. Picking Rylee up, she held her in one arm so the five month old could look around. "I think you have some admirers there, Rye." She said, bouncing her gently up and down. Rylee made small noises and a quirky smile was formed.

Abby smiled at the infant before pulling back the sleeve of her lab coat, checking her watch. "I'm taking lunch in a few minutes…do you want to join me?" Abby asked.

Kerry checked her watch, as well, and smiled; she had more than enough time before she had to pick up Henry from preschool. "Sure." She nodded. "That'd be great."

Abby smiled and nodded, as well. "Alright, I'm just going to go tell Luka…I'm sure he'd love to see Rylee real quick, anyway." She said as she headed off towards trauma 1, where it looked like Luka was checking on a patient. She saw the exchange between Abby and Luka and, when Abby motioned towards the general vicinity in which Kerry was, Luka looked through the glass window and smiled slightly, acknowledging Kerry's presence. They said something else and then were both at the admit desk.

Luka and Kerry exchanged a quick, one armed embrace before Luka directed his attention towards Rylee. He bent down so they were eye level and made a goofy face, one that made the infant giggle and grin. Luka did it once more, receiving the same accolades from Rylee as before, then straightened back up. "How are you guys doing?" He asked Kerry.

Kerry adjusted Rylee in her arms. "We're alright…we're both working part-time for a few more weeks, but she's wonderful." Kerry said, glancing at Rylee.

"Is she sleeping through the night, yet?" He asked.

Kerry nodded slowly. "Not much wakes her up…" she said keeping her face even and waiting for it to click in Luka's mind.

It did, and he looked at Kerry with mortified eyes. "I'm sorry, Kerry, I didn't even-"

Kerry cut him off, smiling. "I'm joking, Luka…she does sleep through the night, though." She said, chuckling.

Luka's expression softened a bit and he grinned slightly as well.

"You ready to go?" Abby asked from behind the pair. Kerry nodded as she put Rylee back in her car seat. She buckled her in and exchanged a quick goodbye with Luka. Then, the three were off.

They had agreed to take Kerry's car, because of the car seat, and no less than fifteen minutes after pulling out of the parking lot, they had arrived at the nearest Panera Bread. Kerry snapped the car seat out of its base and they headed inside.

"So how are you holding up?" Abby asked as she settled in the seat across from Kerry, the steam from her latte rising in a thick cloud. Abby and Kerry had talked very infrequently since Rylee's birth and, though Abby knew the general idea of what was going on, she still felt out of the loop.

Kerry took a sip of her own drink and shrugged. "I think I'm handling this better than Kim." Her eyes met Abby's. "I think Henry is handling it better than the both of us." She said, laughing shortly.

Abby leaned back in her chair- slouching as always, Kerry noted with a smirk- and chuckled as well. "But really, Kerry…how is everything going? Or, what's even going on?"

Kerry took a long blink, her eyes staying shut a second longer than anyone's normally did, and she began. "Well, you know all about Rye's hearing, right? I mean, I told you everything?" Kerry asked. She wasn't too sure exactly what she had and hadn't told Abby when she'd talked told her about the diagnosis; she'd explained it so many times to so many different people, it was hard keeping track of little details. Abby nodded. "Alright, well we went back to the audiologist then, through him, got in touch with Early Intervention. Through them, we decided that, until she can make her own decisions, we'll do simultaneous communication. I mean, without an implant, which she is not getting until she can decide for herself as an adult, developing any form of speech is going to be hard, but she'll learn to sign, as well. That way she can drop one when she's older, if she wants." Kerry finished, glancing over at a now-sleeping Rylee.

Abby nodded slowly; she wasn't sure how any parents, not just Kerry and Kim, made such tough decisions for their children. "Are you all learning to sign, as well?" She asked before she took a bite of her sandwich.

Kerry chuckled. "Henry already knows a couple hundred signs and I'm just refreshing what I know from college, but Kim is learning from scratch…I think that's what's hardest for her, actually." Kerry said, mimicking Abby's movement and taking a bite of her own salad.

Abby nodded, focusing on Rylee. "I like the hearing aids." She finally said, glancing back at Kerry with a smile.

"Henry…it was all Henry." Kerry said, shaking her head slowly as she laughed. "Kim wanted pink, but he insisted that that was too girly…so, purple it was." She said. They had figured, for these hearing aids at least, it would be a good way to include Henry if he could help pick out the color of the earhook and the pattern of the earmold. Thankfully, Kerry mused after he and Kim had finally settled on violet, they didn't spring for orange or red or tie dye; not yet, at least.

Abby chuckled. "It was a good choice." She said.

The pair continued to visit for a while longer, talking more about their kids and jobs, until Kerry's phone went off. She picked it up from where it sat on the table and shook her head. "Damn…" she muttered before answering it. She had a quick conversation with who Abby assumed to be Kim, then flipped it closed. "I'm sorry, Abby…it's a lot later than I thought; I have to pick Henry up from school." She said, pushing her chair back and standing up.

Abby shook her head. "It's fine, it's fine…I should probably get back, anyway…God knows how fast we get busy, there." She said, smiling.

Kerry chuckled as she slid into her jacket. "Can I give you a ride back to the hospital?" She asked.

Abby smiled and shook her head. "That's alright, Kerry…I'll just take the El." She said genuinely. She could tell from the way Kerry had reacted to the time that she was running behind schedule. And, she figured, if Kerry had time to drop me off, she would let the offer stand. She didn't mind taking the El, anyway.

Kerry gave a slight smile. "I'm sorry, Abby…I really should have been paying attention to the time." She said, moving around the table to where Abby was standing. The two woman met in a mutual embrace and said their goodbyes.

"I'll see you later, Kerry." Abby said as the redhead walked towards the exit. "And tell Kim and Henry I said hi!" She called.

Kerry turned around as she exited and smiled. "Talk to you later, Abbs."

Surprisingly, once Kerry had situated Rylee in the backseat, she was still asleep. She debated whether or not to take out the hearing aids, but decided against it, knowing that sooner rather than later, the infant would reawaken. She drove as fast as she could, without being consider dangerous or illegal, to Henry's preschool and made it in good time. As she had assumed, Rylee had awoken during the ride and was now looking around, her eyes still sleepy. Kerry greeted her as she took her out of the car seat once they'd gotten to Henry's preschool, talking to her as they walked from the car to the building.

Once inside, Kerry headed for the school's secretary's desk where she'd sign Henry out. She didn't recognize the woman who sat at the desk and wondered where Kelly, the regular secretary, was. "Hi, I'm here to sign my son out…" she said to the older woman.

The secretary began to speak, but a voice coming from the doorway caught their attention. "Dr. Weaver, hi." Eliza, Henry's teacher, greeted. "I was actually hoping to have a chance to talk with you." She said as she shook the older woman's hand. "Do you have a moment?"

Kerry frowned a bit, wondering why the young teacher needed to speak with her face to face. Eager, though a bit nervous, to find out, she agreed and they headed into a small, office-like room. "And Eliza, call me Kerry, please." She said, sitting down with Rylee on her lap.

Eliza sat down on the edge of the desk in front of Kerry, her feet barely touching the ground. "Henry told the class about Rylee's condition." Eliza said, smiling. "He really does love her."

Kerry smiled and nodded; Eliza was right: Henry was madly in love with his little sister and hardly suffered from any form of jealousy. "He does…he loved the idea of being a big brother before she was born, and we were honestly expecting him to not feel so great about it after, but he's still just as excited about it now, five months after the fact."

Eliza grinned and nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what approach are you taking?" she asked. Kerry repeated what she had shared with Abby earlier that day and was answered with a slow nod from Eliza. "Is that a compromise, or…?" She asked.

Kerry tilted her hand left and right in the natural gesture for so-so. "I think, initially, Kim wanted to be a lot more aggressive whereas I was more interested in focusing on signing. We kind of met halfway in the end, which will probably work out better for Rylee in the long run." She explained, realizing that, after she'd said it, Eliza probably knew everything Kerry had told her; she did, after all, have a Deaf sister.

Eliza smiled. "I think that's what's best…you guys are definitely fortunate to have caught this at an early age; you'll have a chance to implement both forms of communication while she's just learning it all for the first time…with Harper, my daughter, we didn't catch it until she was nearly a year old." She said.

Kerry raised an eyebrow. "Your daughter?" She asked. "Henry said it was your sister who was Deaf."

Eliza nodded. "They both are…as well as my mother and brother." She explained, a natural smile on her face. "Just my dad and I are hearing. Well, and my husband." She said.

Kerry's eyes went wide. "That's…wow. Just you, your dad, and husband aren't? Out of the seven of you?" she asked, interested in this newly found part of her son's teacher's life.

Eliza nodded but moved onto what had brought on this meeting in the first place. "That's kind of related to why I asked to speak to you, actually…I assume you're involved with some professionals from Early Intervention, but I wanted to give you some information on a little support group, of sorts; my father started it at our church when I was young, but now I've kind of taken it over. It's nondenominational; we just meet in the church out of convenience." She added, unsure of Kerry and her family's religious views. "It's for hearing people with Deaf loved ones, especially children." She said, reaching behind her and pulling out a sheet of stationary. She handed it to Kerry and met her eyes with a warm smile. "Here's all the information. There's about ten or twelve families most weeks, and everyone brings their kids; hearing, Deaf and everything in between. I think it'd be really great if you guys could come."

Kerry took the paper and looked at it for a second, then looked back up and smiled. "Thanks, really…that's, that might be nice." She said. Sure, she thought, the audiologists and speech pathologists and signing teachers are nice, but the majority of them didn't know what it was like to be a hearing parent of a Deaf child. She was genuinely interested in it, and surprisingly thankful to have the option of getting involved.

Eliza grinned. "You're welcome…our next meeting is a week from tonight, so if you or Kim or the both of you could make it, that'd be great." She said, sliding off of the desk and onto her feet. Kerry stood as well, taking the younger woman's motion as her queue.

Kerry nodded as they walked out of the office. "I'll talk to Kim tonight…I think it sounds like a wonderful idea." She said.

As the stepped through the threshold of the large playroom, she was instantly bombarded by Henry, who had been, apparently, standing nearby. "Mommy! Why are you here?" He asked, slightly confused by his mother's appearance.

Kerry smiled and ruffled his hair. "I came to pick you up, silly." She replied. "Are you ready to go?"

Henry nodded and sped off towards his cubby and, in no more than a few seconds, was back with his jacket in hand. Eliza helped him into it then received a hug from the five year old. "Bye Ms. 'Liza." He said, taking the 'E' noise out of her name.

Eliza straightened back up and smiled. "Bye, Henry, see you tomorrow." She looked at Henry. "Bye, Dr. Weaver, it was nice talking with you."

Kerry smiled and nodded. "You too. And Eliza? Call me Kerry." She added as she walked toward the exit, Henry at her left and Rylee in her arms.

Later that night, with Rylee sitting happily in her bouncer and Henry coloring at the kitchen table, Kerry told Kim about the conversation she'd had with Eliza that day.

"Wait, so her mother, brother, sister and daughter are all Deaf?" Kim asked, tucking her left leg under her.

Kerry nodded. "She, her father and husband are the only hearing ones in their family." She explained. "But there's something else…she told me about this support group that her dad formed. It's for hearing people with Deaf loved ones. I guess it's mainly hearing parents of Deaf children these days. Anyways, she invited us to the next meeting…it's next Monday night."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "A support group?" She asked, her voice a little skeptical. "What do they talk about?" She asked herself aloud.

Kerry answered, assuming the question was directed towards her. "I don't really know, but the way she explained it made it seem really laidback…everyone brings their kids and it's only an hour or so." She said, looking at Kim. "What do you think?" She asked.

Kim shrugged, thinking about it in silence. "I guess it couldn't really hurt…" She said.

Kerry smiled widely; Kim realized that she was genuinely excited about it. Why she was, however, Kim wasn't too sure. "I think it'll be good." She said, still smiling.

Kim nodded. She hoped it'd be good; it's not that she had disrespect for the Deaf community; she just felt like she didn't belong in a world that her daughter, by default did. And that, as a mother, felt strange and intimidating. Maybe, she thought to herself as Kerry got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, this would be her induction to a community that she and her daughter, as well as Kerry and Henry, could all belong to. She smiled slightly at that thought.

* * *

**A/N: **Just to get an idea of how stinkin' cute Rylee is, the earmold is the soft piece that goes in the outer ear cannal and the outer ear while the earhook is the piece that loops around the back of her ears. Match that with her Legaspi-eyes and Weaver-hair and you've got yourself one of the cutest Kerry/Kim babies ever (well, in my opinion, at least)! And no, I'm not totally off my rocker; infants can wearing hearing aids and they can be colored/tie dyed/patterned :) Please review and thanks to those of you who have! I can't express how wonderful it is to hear from my readers! :D


	4. May 1st, 2007

_1 Week Later  
_

Kim buckled Rylee into her car seat, shut the door, and climbed into the passenger seat just as Kerry did the same on her left with Henry. They were heading to the support group meeting Eliza, Henry's teacher, had invited them to and, while Kerry was totally at ease with idea, Kim found herself a bit nervous. She wasn't exactly sure what about the support group was intimidating; at first, when Kerry had told her they'd been invited, she was resistant, fearing that they, as a family, wouldn't be accepted. However, after little reasoning with herself, she realized how silly she was being: the support group was for families just like theirs. As Kerry pulled out of their driveway, Kim chalked her slight insecurities up to just being afraid of the unknown.

"I think she needs to be fitted for new earmolds." Kerry said, bringing Kim out of her train of thought.

Kim turned her head and looked at Kerry. "Already? She's only had these for a little more than two weeks…"

Kerry nodded. "When she woke up this afternoon I had a hard time keeping them in; they seemed too small for her ear."

Kim sighed and turned to face Henry. "Time to pick out a new color for Rylee, Hen." She said, deriving a broad smile from the five year old. She gave a small smile back and turned to face front again. "Did they say that she'd be going through them so rapidly at her last appointment?" Kim asked.

Kerry nodded. "She's growing so fast…I mean, I didn't think it would be so frequent; I figured every month or so..." Kerry let her sentence taper off, "It'll decrease as her growing slows, I'm sure." She finished.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "You're becoming an expert, Ker." She teased.

Kerry glanced at Kim and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." She said, smiling.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, Henry spoke up from the back. "Does it have to be girly?" He asked.

Without turning around, Kim spoke. "Does what have to be girly, bud?"

Henry made a scoffing noise and replied, speaking as if Kim should very well know what he meant. "Rylee's hearing aid."

Kerry stifled a chuckle at her son's seriousness and responded, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. "We all have to agree on it." She said.

"Okay…" He said, a frown evident in his voice. Kim and Kerry exchanged amused glances; they both knew that Kerry's words had probably just crushed Henry's idea of giving his little sister an army green earmold.

The rest of the short ride was silent and, within twelve or so minutes since leaving their house, they were in the parking lot of Addison Street Community Church. The two adults got out of the car and unloaded the child who sat on their respected side, Kerry giving Henry a hand with the buckles of his harness as Kim took Rylee's carrier out of its base, and they headed for the entrance. They walked up the front steps and a sign caught Kim's eye. "Welcoming congregation, eh?" She said, gesturing with her head towards the sign on the door that had a small gay pride flag on it. She smiled at Kerry, "I like it already."

Kerry grinned as well and pushed through the entrance. Instantly, they were surrounded by people who had, evidently, just arrived. Kerry's eyes wandered, searching, until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around, she was greeted by a familiar voice. "You came!" The brunette said warmly, looking at Kerry, then Kim, then down at Henry, who had wrapped his arms around her leg. "Hi, Henry…" she chuckled.

Henry detached himself and smiled. "I missed you, Ms. 'Liza!"

The young woman chuckled and ruffled his thick, brown hair. "I missed you too, Henry." She said even though she'd seen him three hours earlier, when Kim had picked him from school. Eliza directed her attention towards Kerry and Kim and held a hand out. "I can take your jackets, if you want." She said.

The pair complied and took their spring-weather coats off as Henry did the same, then handed them to Eliza. Eliza took them and turned a sharp corner behind her, putting them in a coat closet of sorts, and turned back to the Weaver/Legaspi clan. "Come on, I'll introduce you to some people…" She said, leading the group deeper into the building. Eliza brought them to a group of people and tapped a man on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled; he looked to be in his early or mid thirties- the same age as Eliza-, had dirty blonde hair, grey eyes, and stood at a height that towered over Kim by a good five inches. "Kerry, Kim, this is my husband, Eric. Eric, this is Dr. Kerry Weaver and Dr. Kim Legaspi…and this is their son Henry, a student of mine," She said, placing a hand on Henry's head. "and this is their daughter, Rylee."

Eric smiled and held out his hand, shaking Kerry's then Kim's. "Nice to meet you." He greeted before he glanced down at Rylee and Henry, smiling at both of them.

The four talked for a while longer, exchanging more basic information, until Henry tugged on Kerry's hand. "Mommy? Can I play?" He asked, his voice telling just how bored he was.

Before Kerry had a chance to answer, Eliza cut in. "Henry, do you want to meet my daughter? She's just a bit older than you." She offered. Henry nodded excitedly. "Alright, hold on a second." She said, holding out a finger and walking away. Kerry's eyes followed, watching as she headed for a group of kids before tapping a small, blonde girl on her shoulder. Eliza asked her something, signing before she fingerspelled Henry's name and motioned towards where they stood. The young girl nodded excitedly and followed her mother. "Henry, this is Harper…she's six." She said, kneeling down between the two. "Harper can't hear very well, Henry, like your sister." She said, signing for her daughter's benefit. "She won't be able to hear you when you talk, but you can use all of the new signs you've be learning, alright?"

Henry nodded and smiled at Harper. Right away, he said hello in a sort of solute, and she smiled and giggled, grabbed his hand, and they were off. The four adults watched them go, all wearing smiles, before Eliza initiated a move towards the center of the large room, where a few large tables were set up in a horseshoe shape. "We need to get started…why don't you take a seat with Eric; he'll introduce you to the rest of my family." She said, motioning for her three fellow adults to sit.

Eric brought them to a table as Eliza went to herd everyone to their seats and the introductions began; first, Kerry and Kim met Eliza's younger sister, Mikayla, their younger brother, Gideon, and their mother and father, Jennifer and Matthew. The family of brunettes were all incredibly friendly, shaking their hands firmly, and they took their seats together. Rylee, who had been content in her car seat until that moment, began fussing, her face scrunching up as she began to whimper, readying to cry. Kim picked her up, taking her out of the carrier, and held her to her chest, the small head of red hair leaning against her shoulder. She quieted her easily then felt a tap on her side. Turning around, she looked down and saw Harper and Henry. Harper signed to Kim, asking her if Rylee was Deaf, and Kim was surprised with herself when she understood what she had said and continued to sign back, nodding her closed fist up and down; apparently, her thrice-weekly signing lessons were beginning to pay off. The little girl smiled and looked at Rylee, waving. In labored English, she spoke. "Me too." Kim grinned and the two children scampered off.

Kim turned back to the conversation and listened in on Kerry and Mathew's conversation. Soon, however, attention was drawn to the front of the room and Eliza commenced the meeting. After a quick round of introductions, in which Eliza told everyone who Kerry, Kim, Henry and Rylee were, the meeting began and, despite Kim's inner desire to observe, they were made the center of the conversation. "So neither of you have Deaf family members?" A middle aged woman asked. "I'm Linda, by the way."

Kerry shook her head. "No, we don't…a few Deaf friends," she said, thinking mainly of Peter's son and Dr. Parks, "but no family."

Seemingly satisfied with the given answer, Linda sat back in her chair. "What forms of communication are you planning on using?" A man asked. He was sitting next to a woman and, next to her, was an elementary-aged boy, probably eight or nine years old, with a bright red earmold in the ear Kerry could see.

"We decided we're going to work on both her signing skills as well as her oral skills." Kerry said. "She's barely in the aidable range, so it'll be hard, but we want to open as many doors as possible for her."

"I think that's the best way to do it," another person spoke up. "Our daughter, she's in high school now, was the same way…we gave her both options and, when she was about seven, she decided she wanted to sign all the time…said she was sick of people thinking that, because she could speak, she could hear."

Kerry raised a curious eyebrow. "Really? So she was oral then decided she no longer wanted to speak?" Kerry asked. "How does she do in school?"

The woman nodded in response to the first set of questions then answered the other. "She attended Alexander Graham Bell, on the North end, for elementary school…once she reached Jr. High, after she decided to go non-oral, she started going to Chicago School for the Deaf." The woman wore a prideful smile. "She's a great student…top of her class."

Kerry smiled but Kim posed a question. "Did Graham Bell have a good Deaf program?" She asked. She and Kerry had been halfheartedly looking at schools with programs for Deaf students, realizing that the school their daughter attended could make all the difference, but also knowing that they had a few years before they needed to really worry about that.

The woman, whose name Kerry and Kim still didn't know, nodded. "It was wonderful; the program was aimed at both oral and signing, which was great. The only reason she transferred out was because the School for the Deaf focused primarily on signing." She finished.

Kim smiled and nodded her head in response; she liked that the mother had given her daughter a choice as to what she wanted to do.

At the mention of schools the topic changed from introductions to which school Mackenzie, a little girl who was Henry's age, would attend the coming year. Kerry and Kim listened intently, picking up bits and pieces of information about who thought what schools were best for which special needs. The conversation continued and, after multiple other parents voiced- and signed, for that matter- their opinions, the meeting was adjourned and people began socializing again.

Kim and Kerry both stood and Kim turned towards Kerry, holding Rylee out. "I've had to pee since this whole thing started." She said in a faux-whisper.

Kerry smiled and rolled her eyes, taking Rylee from Kim's arms. Kim smiled and mouthed thanks then walked off, heading for the bathroom. Rylee was glancing around the room, captivated by the new height from which she was seeing her surroundings.

Kerry stood there alone, save for Rylee, until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to face the woman whose daughter was in high school. "Hi, you're Kerry, right?" Kerry nodded and the woman held out her hand. "I'm Tara," she introduced herself with a smile then looked at Rylee. "How old is this little girl?" She asked, holding her hand out for the infant.

"Rylee's a little over five months." Kerry said, adjusting Rylee in her arms.

"She's a little peanut." Tara smiled and rubbed the small hand that was wrapped around her forefinger. "What's her hearing loss?" She asked, still looking into the infant's blue eyes.

Ever since they had gotten Rylee's diagnosis, Kerry had been able to accept and embrace the fact that their daughter was Deaf, however, it took a while longer for her to truly accept the severity of it; in her mind, if the loss was only moderate, it wasn't so bad. Thankfully, though, she'd gotten past that quickly. "Profound…" she said. "What is your daughter's?" As she inquired, Rylee's face scrunched up and Kerry knew what was coming. "Ah, do you mind if we sit down? She needs her bottle." She asked, her tone apologetic.

"Oh, no, not at all." Tara answered, smiling and taking a seat. Kerry sat down, took out Rylee's bottle, and reposed her question. "Right, right…she has a profound loss; she can hear at about 130, 135 decibels."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "130? That's the threshold for pain." She said, thinking aloud.

Tara nodded and chuckled at Kerry's stating of the obvious. "Not for her it isn't." She said with a warm smile.

Kerry looked down at her lap. "Ah, right…"

Tara didn't let the silence progress and spoke back up. "So, how is she handling the aids?" She asked, crossing her legs.

Kerry adjusted Rylee in her arms subconsciously. "She's doing well, I suppose…she doesn't make a habit of playing with them, so that's good."

Tara chuckled. "Yet." Kerry looked up, giving the woman a questioning look. "She hasn't started playing with them yet." She explained, smiling.

"Your daughter has hearing aids?" Kerry asked, though it was more of a statement.

The friendly woman nodded. "She got them when she was about Rylee's age…she actually has purple earmolds at the moment, too." She said, smiling.

Tara's statement lit a candle in Kerry's mind and she remembered the short conversation she'd had with Kim in the car earlier that evening. "Speaking of earmolds…do you remember how often your daughter went through them as an infant? I think Rylee's are too small already, but can she really have grown out of them in two weeks?"

Tara nodded and flopped her hand forward, "Oh, I wouldn't doubt that she's grown out of them already; I think Nicole had new ones about every two weeks until she was a year, a year and a half old. After that the frequency slowed…through elementary and middle school it was probably every eight or nine months and now it's every year or so." She said. "Why? Do you think Rylee's are too small?" She asked.

Kerry nodded and repeated what she had told Kim earlier that evening; the audiologist hadn't given her specifics as to when Rylee would need new earmolds and was hoping that Tara, whose daughter had gone through at least thirty earmolds in her life if Kerry had done her math right, would have an idea as to whether or not Rylee needed new ones.

"Are they giving feedback or anything?" She asked.

Kerry raised her eyebrow, "Feedback?" She repeated.

Tara shifted her weight in her seat. "Yeah…it's kind of a squealing noise that comes from the microphone…if the earmold doesn't fit her ear well, sound will escape." She explained.

Kerry was surprised the audiologist hadn't mentioned that but shook her head. "No, the mold just doesn't seem very snug." She answered.

Tara uncrossed her legs. "I would call your auidioligist soon…it may not be giving feedback yet, but when it starts, chances are you'll be out in public." She said, sounding as if she knew from experience.

Kerry nodded. "I'll have to give them a call tomorrow." Just as she got the words out, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around in her chair, she looked up to find Kim standing behind her, smiling. "Hey, I thought you got lost…" Kerry greeted.

Kim grinned and shook her head. "I was just getting introduced to a few of the other parents." She replied before glancing at Tara. "Hi, I'm Kim Legaspi." She said, wearing a warm smile and holding out her right hand.

Tara met Kim's hand with her own. "Nice to meet you…I'm Tara Perkins." She said, flashing a brilliant smile.

Kim smiled back and then directed her attention back towards Kerry. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think we should get going…I just saw Henry; he looks exhausted." She said.

Kerry stretched her arm out and looked at her watch; she was surprised to see that it was already quarter of eight. "Oh wow," she gave a short laugh, "I guess it is pretty late." She looked back at Tara as she stood up and the brunette did the same. "It was really nice to meet you, Tara, and thanks for all of the advice." She said, shaking the woman's hand again.

Tara smiled again. "It was great meeting you," she said then glanced at Kim, "both of you. And I hope you come back again." She smiled.

Kim glanced at Kerry and nodded. "We definitely will." She said.

With that, Tara wandered off and Kerry situated Rylee into her carrier. They made quick work of rounding Henry up and saying goodbyes and, after about seven minutes, were in the car headed home.

"How are you holding up back there, Hen?" Kim asked, a smile forming on her face after she caught a glance of Henry's head leaning heavily against his car seat.

"I'm tired." He said. Kim desperately wanted him to stay just awake enough to not have to be carried to bed, so she kept the conversation alive.

"I know, buddy." She sympathized. "Did you make any new friends tonight?"

Instantly, Henry perked up and began to jabber away. "Harper is real nice! She can talk a little and I can sign a little! And then there's Mackenzie and Liam and Noah! They are all Deaf 'cept for Noah. Noah's sister is Deaf like Rylee!" He exclaimed.

Kerry glanced back her son before looking at Kim, wearing a smiled just as large as the blonde's. "So you had fun?" Kerry asked.

Henry nodded again. "Lots and lots and lots of fun!"

Kerry and Kim both chuckled a bit, amused by his signature excitement. "So you want to go back for the next meeting?" Kim questioned, attempting to pull another excited reaction from him.

"Can we?" He asked, sounding amazed at the possibility.

Kerry glanced back. "Of course we can…" she said then glanced at Kim, "right?"

Kim grinned and nodded. "Right." She confirmed. She was speaking truthfully; she had honestly had a good time at the support group. At first, it had felt awkward being in a room of people whom she didn't know, but once it had become evident that, hey, all of these people had been through something very similar to what she and Kerry were going though, it eased her discomfort and, after she had been introduced to Eliza's family, she had been completely put to ease.

Soon, the four arrived home and the two kids were put to bed; while Kim washed Henry up and read him a quick story, Kerry fed Rylee once more while rocking her in the nursery's rocker. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until Kim came in, wearing a surprised look on her face. "Is she asleep?" Kim whispered.

Kerry nodded and slowed the rhythmic rocking of the chair until it was still, then stood up and put the infant in her crib. "Is Henry asleep?" She asked, her voice low and quiet.

Kim nodded. "Out like a light."

The couple left the nursery without a sound and veered left to enter their own bedroom. Kim headed straight for the bed and flopped down dramatically, sighing as she went. Kerry peered over her shoulder from where she was cleaning out the empty bottle and made a face. "You're already tired?" She asked, grinning.

Kim smiled and sat up. "No, I'm not that old." She replied.

Kerry left the bathroom and walked towards the bed. "And who said old people get tired early?" Her tone was challenging but her face was smiling.

As Kerry stood in front of her, arms draped over the blonde's shoulders, Kim replied. "Well, Ms. Weaver, it's a well known fact." She said, arching a seductive eyebrow. "Why? You want to try to prove me wrong?"

Kerry's only reply was her lips crushing Kim's in a loving, powerful, passionate kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** The church is real, I just don't know if they're welcoming like that; Alexander Graham is real, and they do have a Deaf program; The Chicago School for the Deaf isn't real.


	5. July 4th, 2007

_2 Months Later_

"Well, don't you look festive." Kerry teased as Kim walked into the kitchen.

Kim glanced downwards at herself: she wore white Bermuda shorts, a light, powder blue tee shirt, and a necklace with a red pendant. Her attention was then directed towards Kerry, who was wearing dark jean capris, a white button down, with a navy blue camisole underneath. "Hey, I have pride." She laughed, walking over to where Rylee was sitting in her high chair. "Just like our little girl." She said, kissing the infant's red hair. "I don't know why you don't like this dress! It's adorable!" Kim said, walking past Kerry, who was feeding Rylee cereal; the jumper she had on, which was from Gap, had a pattern of white stars on the left side and red and white stripes on the right.

"Hey, I never said I didn't like it." Kerry chuckled as she spooned another bite of oatmeal into Rylee's mouth. She set the spoon down on the high chair's tray and put her hands together, the tips of her ten fingers tapping against each other, as she said more. "Do you want more?" She asked Rylee, still making the sign with her hands. Rylee's blue eyes gave her a quizzical look and her hands remained still. Kerry made the sign once more then took Rylee's hands in her own, mimicking the sign. She let go of the small pair of hands and showed her the sign once more. Suddenly, as if a light bulb went off in her head, Rylee copied the sign as best she could. Kerry smiled and nodded, encouraging her excitedly. She gave her another bite and went on until the 'mores' stopped coming from Rylee's hands. "Finished?" She asked, flicking her hands outwards. Again, after a few tries on Kerry's behalf, Rylee mimicked a form of the sign. Kerry's smile broadened and she gave her daughter a kiss before pulling her out of her high chair.

Kim, who had been watching the entire time, smiled at her wife and daughter. "You two are cute, you know that?" She asked, taking the empty bowl and spoon from the high chair and rinsing them in the sink.

Kerry shook her head. "She's the cute one. Right, Rye? You're the cutie here." She said, tickling the back of the baby's neck. A smile formed and Rylee giggled. "Are you about ready to go?" Kerry asked, "We need to pick Henry up on the way." She reminded.

Kim nodded and wiped her hands on the nearby dishrag. "Do you have everything?" She asked, grabbing the keys off the counter and spinning them around her index finger.

Kerry nodded. "Baby: check," she said, bouncing Rylee in her arms, "diaper bag: check," she said, glancing at the green and yellow bag by the door, "is there anything else?" She asked.

Kim shook her head and walked towards the door, grabbing the diaper bag as she did so. "And we're off!" She grinned, opening the door for Kerry.

The roads were surprisingly quiet for the 4th of July and, within a short ten minutes, Kerry, Kim, and Rylee had arrived at Henry's grandparents' house to pick him up. Kerry opened the car door and climbed out just as the front door of the house opened, revealing Henry, who seemed to be pulling his cousin, Anthony, behind him. Florina, Sandy's mom, was on their heels.

"Hey buddy," Kerry greeted, meeting them half way. Henry let go of his cousin and wrapped his arms around Kerry's legs. "Hi, Tony." She said, ruffling the other toddler's hair.

"Can Tony see Rylee, Mommy?" He asked, looking up at his mother.

Kerry nodded. "Go ahead…just don't unbuckle her harness." She said, allowing the two boys to go around her so she could speak with Florina. The older woman approached Kerry and handed her Henry's overnight bag. "How were they?" She asked; Henry and Tony had spent the previous night with their grandparents and Kerry had been worried that the two toddlers would run the older couple into the ground.

However, as Kerry probably should have suspected, Florina smiled. "They were perfect." She said, her English slightly accented. She looked over Kerry's shoulder towards the car, catching a glimpse of Rylee. "She has your hair." She said bluntly. Kerry wasn't sure if it was a question, a statement, or an accusation, so she only stood there. Thankfully, Florina flashed her another smile. "She's cute."

Kerry let out a little breath and grinned. "She is…" She agreed. "Thank you." It was awkward with the Lopez's now, Kerry felt; she knew they held little resentment towards her, but with Kim in the picture, she still felt as if she was walking on egg shells.

Thankfully, the discomfort ceased when Florina called her grandson over. "Anthony! Henry and his mom have to leave now…they've got other places to be!" She said lightheartedly.

Kerry turned around and watched as the two boys said goodbye, Tony walking towards them as Henry climbed in the back of the car. Turning back to Florina, she gave the older woman another smile. "Thank you, again, for having Henry last night…I'm sure I'll be hearing about it all day." She joked.

Her son's grandmother smiled and wrapped an arm around Kerry in a hug; and awkward, uncomfortable hug, they both knew, but it was still a hug and that was more than Kerry could ask for. "Any time…and if you ever need anyone to watch the pair of them..." she offered, her voice tapering off noticeably.

Kerry stepped away and cocked her head to the side, a soft, grateful smile gracing her lips. "Thank you."

Florina nodded quickly and took another step back. Looking around Kerry, she waved to her grandson. "Have a good Fourth of July, mijo."

The words sent a pang of loss through Kerry but she quickly sent it to the back of her mind. She smiled again and headed back to the car, checking Henry's seatbelt first before climbing in the front seat herself. Kerry turned in her seat to back out of the driveway and caught Kim's eye as she went; the blue orbs were casting a slightly somber, sympathetic gaze. Kerry ignored it, sending the reemerging feelings away again, and headed back onto the road.

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Kim turned in her seat, looking into the back seat. "Did you and Tony have a good time?"

Henry nodded, his expression not overly excited. "Yeah." He answered simply.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?" She asked, concerned; it was a rare occurrence that Henry came back from his grandparents' house wearing anything but a smile.

Henry shook his head, glancing out as much of the window as he could, then turned back to Kim, "Tony said Rylee's stupid." Kim noticed for the first time that his eyes were glistening; he had tears in them. "'Cause she can't hear." He was quiet.

Kim looked back at Kerry, silently asking her if she wanted to handle it. Kerry nodded her head, gesturing for Kim to go ahead. Kim looked back at Henry and tilted her head to the side. "Well, do you think Rylee is stupid?" She asked, her psychiatric skills coming through.

Henry shook his head violently. "No! She's just different, not stupid." The adoration he felt for his little sister was evident.

Kim nodded. "Right. Why do you think Tony said that?" She wanted to hear how Henry was seeing the situation; she wanted to know what his point of view was.

Henry was quiet for a few moments, thinking, before he spoke again. "I dunno…" he began, looking at his hands. "maybe he doesn't get it?" he asked, glancing up at Kim.

Kim nodded; she loved how Henry thought so dimensionally for a five year old. "Do you think he doesn't understand that being Deaf isn't bad? Maybe he thinks it's weird because he doesn't understand what being Deaf really is?" Kim offered.

Henry took in what was Kim was saying and nodded slowly. "It's not bad…it makes her special." He said, looking first at his third mother then to his sister. "Why doesn't he get it?"

"A lot of people don't understand that people who are Deaf aren't mentally handicapped…some people, especially children, think that if someone can't hear or speak, they can't function." She said, speaking truthfully. "But you know that she can do nearly everything that you can do, right?" She asked.

Again, Henry nodded his head quickly and with meaning. "She just can't hear good." He answered simply.

Kim nodded. "Right…so, do you think that, if Tony or anyone else says something like that to you again, you can explain it to them?" She asked.

Henry smiled, happy with the new bit of responsibility. "Yeah!"

Kim smiled and turned back to face front. Kerry glanced at Kim from the corner of her eye and smiled, reaching her hand across the center of the car and squeezing the blonde's thigh. Kim gave a smile back and they continued to drive until they arrived at her brother and sister-in-law's house. Once there, they got out of the car and went around the house into the backyard.

As soon as they stepped into direct sunlight, Kerry wished she had chosen to wear something besides a long-sleeve shirt; sheer with the sleeves rolled up or not, it was damn hot. She ignored it, knowing that it was more than likely she'd be spending the majority of the afternoon and evening in the shade with Rylee. She adjusted the infant in her arms at the thought, and the family walked through the fence opening and was greeted by an abundance of children and multiple adults. Kerry smiled; from the time she'd spent with Kim's family in the past fifteen or so months, she knew one thing: Legaspi parties were never, ever small.

After the customary hello's and hugs and the occasional high five, Kim, Kerry, and the majority of the adult company were sitting around the patio, every few people involved in a different, small conversation. As she had suspected, Kerry sat with Rylee in her lap as she visited with Melissa, Kim's sister, Lori, Kim's cousin, and Abigail, Lori's seven year old daughter. As Abigail was talking about something that had to do with soccer, Kerry looked out onto the yard where Henry and Kim were playing a game of whiffle ball with her multiple second cousins and nieces and nephews. Kerry could nearly hear the loud laughter coming from the group but her attention was drawn elsewhere when she heard her name. Turning her head, she saw Lori shooting her a look that told Kerry she'd just been asked a question. "Sorry..." she smiled, "what was that?"

Lori chuckled. "Abby just had a question." She said, looking at her brunette daughter. "Right, Abs?"

Abby nodded shyly and spoke in a hushed tone. "Can I hold Rylee?" She asked, looking up at Kerry with a weary face, as if she knew for certain the answer would be no.

Kerry gave the seven year old a gentle smile and nodded, getting up from her seat. "Sure…you can have my seat, alright?" She asked. Abigail's eyes lit up and she nodded excitedly, scurrying over to claim Kerry's seat. "Have you ever held a baby, Abby?" She asked.

Again, she smiled. "Yep…I held Kaden when he was a baby, and I held Jack when he was a baby!" She said as she got comfortable in the perfect position.

Kerry smiled and held Rylee, who was still content as could be, out towards Abby. "You all set?" She asked the fidgeting seven year old. The brunette nodded, her wiggling ceasing. Kerry smiled and placed her daughter gently in Abby's arms. "There you go." She said, taking a step back. The smile on Abby's face brought a similar one to Kerry's. She claimed the seat next to Abby's so Rylee could still see her and looked back to the others she was sitting with, expecting the conversation to continue. Instead, she found that all eyes were on Abigail and Rylee.

Melissa spoke, her vision still fixed on the pair. "I call holding that little girl next." She grinned.

Kerry nodded and leaned back in her seat, crossing her right leg over her left. "As long as she isn't on the ground, I'm happy." She said lightheartedly.

Abby, who had been content and quiet, spoke up. "Why are these all glittery?" She asked, pointing at Rylee's left earmold, which was clear acrylic with an abundance of rainbow glitter.

Kerry chuckled. "Kim picked them out…" She said, remembering Kim's reasoning: she said that, since they were getting them in mid-June and June was Gay Pride month, the rainbow glitter was more than appropriate. Kerry had agreed with little reluctance; the bit of rainbow glitter was one thing and, as long as Kim stayed away from the idea of putting full-fledged rainbows in their daughter's ears, she would deal.

Abby smiled and looked back at Rylee. "I like them a lot." She said simply.

Kerry nodded at the little girl then turned her attention towards Melissa. "So, how was your school year? I feel like we haven't really talked since you got home." She said truthfully; though Melissa had been home from North Carolina for nearly a month, she had seen her only once, which was a shame, seeing as she really enjoyed her company.

Melissa answered and the conversation continued and progressed until they were on a totally different subject. By then, the whiffle ball players had filed back over and Kevin, Kim's dad, was beginning to grill. Excited to see her cousins were coming back over, Abby glanced at Kerry, silently asking her to take Rylee back. Kerry smiled and relieved the seven year old, taking Rylee from her arms. Abby smiled and thanked her before taking off towards her friends.

Kerry readjusted Rylee on her lap just as Kim cam over, putting her hands on either of Kerry's shoulders. Kerry looked over her shoulder then back at Rylee. "Who's that?" She asked her daughter. "Is that Momma?" She asked, putting her thumb to her chin and wiggling her extended fingers. She repeated the word over a few times, mimicked the sign with Rylee's hand, then tried to get the nearly-eight month old to do it herself. After a few tries, Rylee made the sign, receiving showers of delight and accolade from her mothers.

Kim looked down at Kerry and stole a quick, light kiss before she held her hands out for Rylee. "I think it's Momma time, right, Rye?" She asked, more rhetorically than not, holding her daughter out in front of her. She brought the infant in and blew a raspberry on her neck, the vibrations making her giggle. "That means yes." She teased Kerry.

Kerry got up from her seat and walked with Kim, heading towards the now-packed buffet style set-up. They got their food and ate in good company, then as Kerry socialized with some other members of Kim's family, Kim fed Rylee and lulled her to sleep on a wicker rocker. As night fell and all the children were in search of bug spray and sweatshirts, Rylee was fast asleep against Kim's chest and Kerry approached the pair. Gently, she turned Rylee's hearing aids off and slipped them out of her ears, taking both in her hand then placing them in the case she had pulled from the diaper bag. "I'm going to go put her down in the living room…Danielle set up the pack 'n play so she could sleep." Kim whispered even though noise control wasn't really necessary. Kerry nodded as Kim disappeared into the dimness of the house.

No more than two minutes had passed when Kim came back out, two fleeces in hand. She held one out to Kerry, who eyed it suspiciously. Kim shrugged. "It's getting buggy…Eric and Danielle won't mind." She said, pulling a hoodie over her head. Kerry rolled her eyes but obliged, slipping into the fleece jacket. They rejoined the rest of the party and, soon, Eric announced that he was going to begin to set off fireworks. Kim pulled Kerry towards the lawn and ordered for her to sit on the grass. Kerry raised an eyebrow, silently telling Kim that she was not going to get down there unless Kim did the same. "Fine, fine…just...find Henry and I'll be right back!" she said, turning around and heading back towards the house. Kerry rolled her eyes but felt a surge of wonder and excitement rush through her; Kim's mysteriousness interested her which, she was sure, was what Kim meant to do.

Finding Henry was no chore and she had him back at the place Kim had designated for them to meet. There, they met up with Kim, who had, much to Kerry's dismay, Rylee in her arms. Kerry quirked a disapproving eyebrow but Kim quickly waved her off. "She's fast asleep, bundled up, and doesn't have her hearing aids in…she's not going to wake up and there's no way she's going to miss her first Legaspi Fourth of July fireworks show." She said, making the last bit sound as if it was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Kerry rolled her eyes but nodded, sitting on the ground as Kim had first implied. Kim and Henry both followed suit and, at that point, Kerry noticed that every other family was doing the same thing; Danielle had her twins and son next to her, while Lori sat with her brother, mother, children, and husband; there were little groups of families spread all across the lawn, waiting for the show to begin.

As Kim had said, Rylee slept through the entire show. Also as Kim had implied, the show of fireworks was comparable in greatness to the Thanksgiving Day Parade; Kerry felt as if she was at huge, city-wide celebration but was delighted to be able to feel Henry's head on her lap and Kim's on her shoulder. It truly and honestly felt like family and, as the last firework exploded in the air and Kim's lips met hers, she knew she was in the perfect place.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry this took so long…I've been having a hard couple days, both with creativity and other things (and I'm still mourning over our- Boston's- loss on the 17th), so this took a little longer than it probably should have. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to update more frequently soon. Please review and thank you for reading!


	6. August 18th, 2007 I

_1 ½ Months Later  
_

Kerry was just heading out the door to work, leaving Kim, Henry, and Rylee behind, when her phone cell phone rang. She grabbed it out of her purse, while attempting to neither scorch herself with coffee nor fall, and answered it. "Hello?" She asked, trying to rid her voice of her agitation.

"Hi, Kerry? This is Eliza…" Kerry mentally slapped herself; she knew exactly why Eliza was calling.

"Oh, Eliza, I'm so sorry either Kim or I didn't call…it's been a hectic morning." She said, walking towards the car.

Eliza brushed It off. "That's okay; I was just calling to make sure everything's alright?" She asked. "I had to take a trip to the Kindergartners and wasn't bombarded with a hug, so I knew something was missing." She chuckled.

Kerry laughed, though it was a short laugh, as well. "Yeah, everything's fine...Kim's off today so she was going to spend the day with Rylee, but Henry had a bit of a fever last night, so he's just going to stay home with the two of them today; he should be back tomorrow." She said, putting her travel mug on top of the car and pulling the car door open.

"Oh, alright…glad to hear it was only a quick thing." Eliza said. "Are either of you coming tonight? To the meeting?" She asked.

Kerry nodded to herself as she turned the car on; the biweekly support group gatherings had become a staple in their schedules. "Of course…if Henry's feeling better, we'll all be there. Otherwise, it'll probably be Kim and Rylee." She explained.

"Oh, good." Eliza replied, her voice sounding mildly relieved. "Harper can't stop telling me about him…I don't think she realizes that I see him nearly every day!" She joked.

Kerry laughed again. "Henry's been the same way…he's been asking me about her since we got home from the last meeting."

"I see a friendship forming," she chuckled. "But I'll let you go, Kerry, and hopefully I'll see you tonight?"

"Hopefully. If not, you'll see me tomorrow morning at drop off." She replied, smiling.

"Alright, talk to you later." Eliza said happily and they hung up simultaneously. Kerry deposited her phone on the passenger's seat and refocused on the road, subconsciously hoping Henry would feel well enough for them all to attend the group that night.

While Kerry faced an eight hour shift, Kim was at home battling a not-so-sick Henry and a tireless Rylee. Henry, who was now showing no signs of having had a fever the previous night, was sitting at the kitchen table clanging his fork and knife against his empty plate. Rylee, who was in her high chair next to him, was following her big brother's lead. At first, Kim had attempted to drown out the noise, thinking that it would cease if she paid no attention, but after a few long, obnoxious moments, she spun around and focused on Henry. For his first warning, she kept her tone even and calm. "Henry, could you please stop?" She asked, signing the words 'calm down' for Rylee's benefit. Henry obliged, setting his utensils down and, whether or not she understood the sign, Rylee did the same. Kim thanked the pair then turned back to the counter, continuing to cook the oatmeal over the stove. She was only able to stir the contents of the pot five or six times when she heard the ruckus again. She turned around and narrowed her eyes. "Henry Gonzalo Weaver," she said sternly, "please calm down." She said, reiterating the sign she'd previously used.

Henry huffed and crossed his arms, allowing Kim to turn back to the stove. "Why doesn't Rylee get in trouble?" He asked, challenging Kim.

Kim spoke over her shoulder as she attempted to stir through the now-clumping oatmeal. "Because, Henry, Rylee's nine months old…you're five." She said simply, turning off the stove burner and grabbing two bowls. "You know to stop when someone asks you to, she doesn't." She finished, glancing at Henry.

Henry's eyes were set on her for a long moment before he looked down; apparently, he wasn't going to fight it any longer. Kim brushed it off and put a bowl in front of him before she took her seat next to Rylee's high chair and began to feed Rylee. It was silent for a few moments before Kim addressed Henry. "Do you remember the sign for cereal, Hen?" She asked, lessening the tension that'd been caused by their earlier tiff.

Henry looked up from his breakfast, a thoughtful expression on his face, then nodded. Holding his left hand out, palm up, he scooped his other hand towards his mouth as if he were, fittingly, holding a bowl of cereal and scooping spoonfuls out of it. "Right?" He asked Kim for conformation.

Kim nodded and smiled. "Do you want to show Rylee?" She offered, giving him a bit of responsibility.

He nodded, any traces of a bad mood gone, and showed his little sister the sign. She looked at him with quizzical eyes, unsure of what she was supposed to do. After the sixth or seventh trying, Henry was frustrated and whined to Kim, "Why won't she do it?"

Kim gave him a half smile and patted his shoulder. "It's alright…we can give it another try in a bit." She said. The toddler smiled and went back to his breakfast as Kim continued to feed Rylee. A few minutes later, she glanced at Henry. "Are you feeling any better?"

Henry nodded and pushed his empty bowl out in front of him. "I didn't even need to stay home!" He explained. "Mommy just worries a lot…"

His last statement brought a smile to Kim's face. "She's a good mommy, though."

Henry nodded in agreement. "You too." He said.

Kim chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you think so." She smiled. "Because you're a pretty good son."

Henry giggled and shifted in his seat, tucking his pajama-clad legs underneath him. "What're we gonna' do today?" He asked.

Kim raised an eyebrow as she put a spoonful in Rylee's mouth. "Well, what would you like to do?" She asked, realizing that such a question could very well lead to numerous answers, most of which knew she would probably have to shoot down.

Henry put a theatrical finger to his chin, tapping it thoughtfully, before he sighed and shook his head. "I don't know."

Kim chuckled. "Well, how about we get cleaned up and find something to keep us busy?" She asked. Henry nodded and hopped down from his chair. Kim looked back at Rylee and signed 'done', questioning her if she had had enough. After a few tries, Rylee repeated and Kim rewarded her, pulling her from her high chair and holding the infant against her side. She headed in the path Henry had just taken; down the hall and up the stairs.

After nearly a half hour, Kim had pulled on jeans and tee shirt, had dressed Henry in cargo shorts and a tee shirt, and had pulled a cotton dress with a cardigan over Rylee's red hair-covered head. She still hadn't decided what they were doing or where they were going, but knew that she was not going to coop Henry up in the house all day. Finally, after pulling Rylee's thin, wispy curls into a mohawk-style ponytail and tying Henry's left shoe, the one he never seemed to be able to do himself, they were out the door and heading for the car. Thankfully, Kim mused as she stuffed the diaper bag in between the two car seats, the stroller was already stowed away in the trunk. She turned off Rylee's hearing aids, knowing that the car's engine would cause them to send of high pitched sounds of feedback, and slid into the front seat. Kim put the keys in the transmission, turned the car on, then turned around in her seat with her hand on the shift. "You ready for an adventure?" She asked, her face enthusiastic. Henry nodded giddily and with that, they were off.

Kim decided, after asking Henry for his opinion, that they'd head to the aquarium; she remembered Kerry telling her that Henry had been on multiple occasions, and figured the place was big enough to keep them busy until well into the afternoon. What Kim didn't think of, however, was just how much Henry loved learning about the underwater life. From the sea turtles to the beluga whales to the zebra sharks, he was more than interested. While Kim loved to see his eyes big and round with curiosity, she also loved to see Rylee's blue eyes switching back and forth, following the shocks of color swimming by in the form of octopus and clownfish, jellyfish and parrotfish. By the end of their first two hours there, at about lunch time, they were all smiles.

They agreed, Kim and Henry, that they'd eat in the café, though Kim made him promise that he wouldn't fuss over the menu. Luckily, she realized as she looked through the kid's choices, PB&J was among the dishes he had to pick from. He ordered that while Kim ordered a salad and, as they waited for their food, she fed Rylee. As she spooned a bite of pureed carrots into Rylee's mouth, her daughter mustered up the sign for more. Henry bounced in his seat and looked at Kim. "Did you see that, Momma?" He exclaimed.

Kim chuckled and nodded, fulfilling her daughter's demand. "She's getting good, isn't she?" She asked, grinning.

Henry smiled. "She's going to be really, really, really good, right?"

Kim nodded and fed Rylee another spoonful. Henry was right: between the consistent learning that both Kerry and Kim instilled on her and the fact that signing was going to be her main form of communication, she was going to get to be very good at it, and probably before anyone else in the family did.

As if she had been waiting for the perfect moment, the waitress who took their order arrived with their lunch just as Kim was putting Rylee's used utensils back into the diaper bag. Kim smiled quickly as the young woman placed their respective dishes in front of them, then turned back to Henry who had poked at her shoulder. "What's the sign for this?" He asked, pointing at his sandwich.

Kim thought for a second, trying to recall it in her memory. For a short few moments, she was drawing a complete blank, until something sparked in her head. "Peanut butter and jelly?" She asked, "Or sandwich?"

Henry thought about the given options. "Mm…PB&J!" he exclaimed.

Kim sighed a bit; she had been hoping he'd settle for sandwich. "I actually don't remember, Hen…that'd be a better question for Mommy." She smiled apologetically. Henry wasn't phased in the least; he shrugged and went ahead to eat his lunch. Kim watched him for a second, then took a bite of her own lunch. After a while of them silenced by their chewing, Kim spoke. "Do you want to keep looking at the fish, or have you had enough of this place?"

Henry swallowed his bite and shook his head. "No more fish." He said before his face lit up. "Can we go…to the park?" He asked.

Kim's eyebrow rose naturally; by the way Henry had been so interested in the fish before, she had thought for sure he'd want to stay longer. "Uh, sure…if it's still sunny out, I don't see why not." She replied.

Henry grinned and nodded before he took another bite of his sandwich. In three more bites, his PB&J on wheat bread was gone and he was shifting in his seat. Kim, too, had finished and, once she'd paid, the three were heading for the parking lot. She settled the pair in their respective car seats, switched Rylee's hearing aids off and gave her a bottle, put everything else in the trunk, then got into the front seat. She turned around and regarded Henry, "We'll go to the park near home, alright?" She asked. He agreed happily and they took off.

As she had hoped, Rylee's bottle had put the infant to sleep and she was able to seamlessly shift the heavy sleeper from car to stroller without her even batting an eyelash. Also as she'd hoped, there was an abundance of children who looked to be around Henry's age at the playground, a situation that potentially freed her from doing double duty. Kim designated a spot where she'd stay and Henry took off as soon as he was able, his little legs carrying him quickly towards the playground set. Kim felt as if she were watching a silent movie as she saw him meander over to a group of children and begin to mingle with a boy who looked to be his age. Though she could not hear a word that was being said, she had an idea of how it was going; they probably told each other their first names and asked if they wanted to be friends. The simplicity of the plausible interaction made Kim a bit jealous, in a way; if only, she thought, adult relations could be so blatantly simple. Nevertheless, she smiled at the sight of the young children then turned her attention back to her sleeping daughter. She studied how the angle of her bent arms caused soft folds of pale skin, how her long eyelashes were hardly visible because of their light shade, how her thin red hair stood on top of her head in upwards spike, and how her purple and pink jumper clashed so visibly with her hair but looked too damn cute for it to matter.

Kim kept studying her nine month old until a high pitched scream pierced her ears; her head whipped around towards from where the sound had come and her eyes searched frantically for Henry. She could see the young boy nowhere; instead, she found a group, of kids and adults alike, crowded in a circle. Kim's hear sank and she was off, pushing Rylee's stroller towards the scene at a near run. As she grew closer to the swarm, she heard an man's voice shouting for them to move away; instantly, and much to her unpleasant surprise, she recognized the voice. "Malucci?" She asked, pushing her way through the crowd, stroller and all. When she got to the center, her eyes hit the ground where he was kneeling; Henry lay there on his back, his eyes shut, his face lifeless, and a tiny trickle of blood coming from a scrape on his head. "Oh my God, Henry…"

The tan Italian's head whipped up and his jaw nearly dropped. "Dr…Dr. Legaspi?" He looked back at who he now knew as Henry. "Do you know him? Is he…yours?" He asked as his fingers searched for a carotid pulse.

Kim knelt down, glancing at a still-sleeping Rylee just to check, and nodded. "He's my and…well, he's Kerry's…he's our son." She explained, her words coming out in inconsistent spurts. "What happened?"

Dave Malucci pointed upwards. "Monkey bars…I didn't see it, but I'm guessing he slipped and hit his head. How old is he?" He asked.

Kim rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He's five…is his pulse steady?" She wondered, because she knew hers definitely wasn't. Dave nodded. Kim sighed and reached out for Henry's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Henry, can you wake up for me?" She asked, receiving no response. She tried again, her voice and movements getting louder and stronger each time. Her heartbeat quickened when her attempts produced no results.

Dave took the reins, rubbing Henry's breastbone vigorously. "Come on, buddy…" He said, his voice friendly but strong. He looked back at Kim, a look of worry on his face. "He's not responding…" He said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "I'm calling a bus."

Kim nodded and leaned back on her heels, her hand wearily rubbing her eyes. She attention was retracted when she heard a woman's voice. She peered up and saw a blonde woman standing over Malucci's form. "Hey," She said, "what's going on?"

Dave held up a yielding finger and spoke into the phone. "I've got a five year old male at Chase Park, unconscious and unreactive after a fall from the monkey bars…ok." He said, flipping the phone closed. He glanced up and over his shoulder. "This is the son of an old colleague of mine…" he said, glancing at Kim. "Anna, this is Dr. Kim Legaspi; Kim, this is my wife Dr. Anna Del Amico…she's a pediatrician."

Anna knelt down as Dave stood up, "I'm going to go see where Nicole and Liam are…" He said, then glanced at Kim. "I'll be back."

Anna nodded without looking up then checked his pulse just as her husband had, then glanced at Kim. "You guys worked together?" She asked.

Kim tilted her head back and forth. "Only for about a year…I think he was talking about Henry's mom, though. Dr. Kerry Weaver…" She said, her eyes focused on Henry.

Anna's head shot up. "This is Weaver's son?" She asked. "Then…I mean, don't think I have no manners for asking this, but…who are you?" She questioned. "I mean, why are you with him?"

Kim looked up, her eyes slightly narrowed. "He's my adoptive son…Kerry and I are together." She said simply, hoping the slightly younger woman would catch her drift.

Thankfully, she did. "Oh…I didn't know Dr. Weaver was, or, is…um…Oh." She left her statement unfinished. Kim brushed it off and put a hand to Henry's forehead. Anna glanced up at Kim, "Was he sick before?" She regarded Kim checking his temperature.

Kim nodded slowly. "He, uh…he had a slight fever last night. His symptoms were completely gone this morning, but we kept him home anyway…he wanted to go out, so…" She trailed off, suddenly feeling as if the whole situation was her fault.

Before she could let her thoughts get much more of her, she heard the sound of sirens growing closer and Dave was instantly back with them, two children at his side; a girl, brunette and tan like him, who looked to be about nine or ten, and a young boy, blonde and pale like Anna, who Kim guessed was about four. In a flash, two paramedics were on the scene and were securing a still-unconscious Henry onto a backboard, C-Collar and all. Kim answered all the customary questions but, when the time came for the rig to take off, she realized she couldn't go with him; she and Rylee would have to meet them at the hospital. "I…I, I can't go..I mean, I have-" she spoke, obviously flustered, and motioned towards Rylee's stroller.

Dave caught on and shook his head, holding his hand out. "I'll go…" he offered, looking at Anna and the two children. "Meet me-" he looked at the paramedics, "where are we taking him?" he asked.

Kim interjected before either could answer. "Sinai. His mom's an ER doc at Sinai."

Dave nodded then turned back to his wife and kids. "Meet me at Sinai." He said, kissing Anna's cheek before jumping into the rig. He gave a quick, somewhat reassuring smile to Kim then slammed the door shut.

As soon as the back doors of the bus were closed, Kim was off towards her car. Thankfully, Rylee was still asleep and all she had to do was click the car seat in, pack the stroller away, and she was off towards Sinai.

* * *

**A/N:** God only knows where this came from…It's not over, though; Part 2 will be posted in the coming days. Thanks for reading.


	7. August 18th, 2007 II

"Dr. Weaver, we've got a single trauma coming in…toddler fell off the monkey bars…his vitals are steady but he's unconscious and unreactive." A resident, Juliet Benson, said as she passed by.

Kerry looked up from the chart she was working on. "ETA?"

Juliet didn't stop walking, heading straight towards the ambulance bay. "They're here now…"

Kerry pushed up from her seat and took off on the young doctor's heels. "Let the fun begin…" she muttered, grabbing a pair of latex gloves.

When Kerry walked through the doors, she heard the bullet being given off by a voice that was eerily familiar; a man's voice, the slightest accent, though not foreign, audible. She knew who's body it was coming from, the guy dressed in everyday clothes, but wasn't sure who it was. "Wait, wait…who are you?" She asked. The man turned around. "Malucci? What the…" she looked past Dave, her eyes settling on the gurney. "Henry…" she gasped involuntarily.

"He's stable, doc. His pupils are equal and reactive…his pulse is steady…" the EMT, one she recognized only by face, said as they pushed him into the ER.

Kerry waved him off, "What happened?" She asked. "Where's Kim?"

Dave interjected. "He was at the playground with Kim…I didn't see it, but I was told he slipped off the monkey bars and hit his head. He was unconscious when I got over there…" He informed her, trailing behind. "And Kim's on her way…"

Kerry's eyes, full with worry and fear, met Malucci's for a second and she spoke. "Right…why were you-"

Malucci put on a slight smile. "I was with my kids and wife." He replied as they pushed into an exam room.

Kerry nodded then went to work before doing a double take. "Wife and-" she shook her head and held out her hand. "Can we talk later?"

Malucci nodded, grinned, and left the room. Kerry turned back to the gurney and called out orders, having her son hooked up to a monitor and checking his pupils herself. She did a thorough exam, silently telling Juliet that she had it under control, and by the end, though Henry was still unconscious, knew it was likely he only had a concussion.

Kerry stood alone in the exam room, waiting to get him to CT and going over Henry's chart mindlessly, when the door burst open. Her eyes darted upwards and found Kim with Rylee in her arms in the doorway. "How is he?" She asked, walking over.

Kerry rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He's still out…we're bringing him up- upstairs for a CT soon, but he's stable." Kerry's voice was broken up by the deep, shaky breaths she was taking.

Kim put a hand on Kerry's shoulder but spoke no words. They stood like that, Rylee still perched in the crook of Kim's arm, until the door opened once again. This time, it was Juliet and a guy from radiology with a gurney. "He's going up to CT, right?" the man asked.

Kerry nodded and swallowed. "Uh, yeah…Dr. Benson has the chart but I can't go up…" she spoke, "I'm the only attending on the floor."

"Well, I can go, right?" Kim asked. "I mean, parents are allowed to go with their kids to radiology, right?"

The radiologist and Kerry both nodded and Kerry held her hands out for Rylee. Kim handed her over as the other two moved Henry from his bed to the gurney then walked behind it as they left the room, shooting Kerry one more sorrowful, worried glance as they went.

Kerry shook the negative thoughts of Henry to the back of her mind and as thankful for the distraction in the form of her daughter. She left the exam room, Rylee on her hip, and headed for the front desk. Much to her pleasure, the ER had been, and still was, slow, so Kerry was able to sit and wait with Rylee. She had the nine month old in her lap when she saw someone watching her out of the corner of her eye. "Malucci," she looked up, "I forgot you were here."

Dave, now with much shorter, cleaner cut hair, stood in front of Kerry, his back against the desk and his arms folded across his chest. "How could you forget about me, Chief?" He asked, a soft smile painted across his face.

Kerry smiled wearily and shook her head. "I have no idea, David…" She said, adjusting Rylee on her lap. "How have you been?"

Dave shifted on his feet, his expression still calm and collected. "I've been good, Chief…"

Kerry nodded. "Where are you working?" Her tone was even though she was genuinely curious.

"At the moment, Swedish Covenant…" His attempt at hiding his self pride faltered.

Kerry raised an interested eyebrow. "Where did you finish your residency?" She asked.

At that, Dave grinned and spread his arms. "You're looking at it, Chief."

Kerry smiled slightly and shook her head. "Good for you, Dave."

Malucci crossed his arms back over his chest and nodded. "Thanks, Chief…" he said. "You are Chief, right?"

Kerry cocked her head to the side. "Not here, no…" she spoke slowly.

His brown eyes widened slightly. "Why are you here, anyway? I mean, I figured you'd be at County until your dying day…"

Kerry snorted a laugh and shook her head. "It's a long, long story….six years worth of information." She warned.

Dave grinned and hoisted himself up onto the desk. "I'm all ears."

Kerry rolled her eyes. "On second thought, I'll spare you and condense it: I was Chief of the ER until Robert, after getting his arm severed, couldn't handle the work load of being Chief of Staff. Then I was Chief of Staff until I made some, um, bad administrative decisions. Then I was demoted," she spoke, her green eyes locked with Malucci's brown ones. "and here I am;" She said, before smiling a bit. "back to my roots."

Dave's gaze was unfazed by Kerry's wry attitude and he only nodded, apparently understanding every word that was being said although he probably knew very little about what had gone inside the walls of County since his dismissal in '01. A little smirk, however, found his lips and their ends curled up slightly. "Can I still call you Chief?" He asked, his tone telling Kerry he was only pulling her leg.

She rolled her eyes, slightly amused. "Whatever floats your boat, Dave."

He laughed quietly, his white teeth flashing. "So, if Henry's your son, then who's that?" he asked, motioning towards Rylee with a nod of his head.

"My sister, Dave…who do you think it is?" She teased.

He held out to defensive hands. "Hey, hey…stupid question, okay. How old is she?"

Kerry shifted Rylee in her lap, accommodating her searching eyes. "She's about nine months."

Malucci nodded and smiled, his eyes focused on the infant. "Does she have a name?" He couldn't resist being a smart ass; it was just how his relationship with his former boss worked.

Kerry 's head tilted to the side. "Her name's Rylee." She replied.

Dave nodded slowly. "She looks like you." He noted, attempting to tell Kerry what most mothers love to hear.

Kerry throated a small laugh. "Well, I guess we picked the right donor. Right, Rye?" She replied, bouncing her daughter up and down.

Kerry didn't need to look up to know that Dave was deciphering what she'd just said; she knew that he'd vocalize it when it hit him. "Oh…so she's…Kim's?" He tested the waters.

Kerry nodded.

"Henry too?"

Kerry shook her head.

"…so he's…yours?"

Kerry shook her head and spoke, deciding to end the guessing game. "Henry's mother passed away about four years ago." She said simply, allowing Dave to, theoretically, connect the rest of the metaphorical dots.

"Oh…well, he seems like a nice kid." He said awkwardly. "I mean…I've only really seen him unconscious, but he was playing with my son on the playground…seems polite."

Kerry nodded and smiled proudly. "He is polite." She said before she addressed the mention of Malucci's 'son'. "…Son? You have a child?"

Dave nodded and held out two fingers. "Two: Nicole's almost nine, Liam's four." He grinned. "Well, soon to be three…"

Kerry smiled authentically, knowing what it felt like as a spouse to be expecting a child. "You're married…" she shook her head side to side.

"Are you surprised, Chief?" He teased. "I am…for almost four years now. A pediatrician."

Kerry raised an eyebrow. "Anyone from around here?" She asked, wondering if she knew the 'lucky lady'.

A mischievous grin found its way to his lips and he nodded. "She did some time at County, I guess."

If Kerry wasn't genuinely interested in the identity of Dave's wife before, she sure was now. "Did she really?" She asked before giving him a taste of his own, smart-alecky medicine. "Does she have a name?"

Dave voiced a low laugh and nodded. "Her name's Anna. Anna Del Amico, if that rings any bells?"

Kerry's jaw nearly hit the ground. "As in Emergency Medicine Pediatric fellow?" She asked, receiving a nod from Dave. "How did you guys meet?" She asked, knowing that Dave and Anna hadn't worked at County at the same time.

Dave went on to explain to Kerry how, after he finished his residency there at Sinai, he had worked at Nazareth for a while as an Attending, which was, coincidentally, where Anna was working as an Emergency Care Pediatrician. Apparently, they had gotten into a bit of a tiff over a patient and, in Dave's words not Kerry's, settled it in bed that night. "Where is she working now?" She asked finally.

"Children's Memorial." He replied with another easy smile.

Kerry nodded. She was surprised when she realized that, during the entire time she'd been talking with Malucci, not a single trauma had come in. She was also taken aback by the fact that Henry and Kim were not yet back from radiology. Standing up with Rylee hugging her side, Kerry went over and grabbed the phone that was sitting on the counter next to Dave. She dialed the appropriate numbers and tucked it in between her ear and shoulder. "I'm checking up on a patient from the ER." She spoke into the phone. "Yeah…his name is Henry Weaver…I sent him up with Dr. Benson." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed silently. "Alright, thank you…" with that, she placed the phone back in the holder.

"How is he?" Malucci asked, still occupying his seat on the tabletop.

Kerry shook her head. "Just went in the scanner." Her tone was dry and she boosted Rylee up in her arms.

Malucci scoffed and shook his head but remained silent for a good while. Instead of talking, he watched as Kerry watched her daughter, how her tired eyes had a bit of happiness in them that matched the corners of her mouth. He never would have expected Weaver to be a mother, he mused. His eyes continued to move slowly, following from where her arms were holding Rylee to where they met her upper body and continued to downwards in a platonically curious way. When something, or the lack of something, caught his eye, his head tilted to the side. "Your, uh, weapon. It's gone."

Kerry turned towards him, questioning. She looked at Dave skeptically until she realized what he meant. With the realization she grinned wryly. "It is." She confirmed.

"Did you finally have enough fun threatening the residents with it?" He joked, his tone mockingly serious.

Kerry nodded shortly and quirked a smile. "Something like that."

Her vagueness did not deter Dave's curiosity. "You know I never found out why you used it."

Kerry's vision stayed focused on Rylee. "Well, you asked everyone but me." She replied, vaguely remembering the one time he'd gone around the entire ER, asking nearly everyone of his coworkers what the exact nature of her disability was without having the nerve to ask her.

Malucci sneered slightly. "Because you would have told me." He said sarcastically.

That drew Kerry's attention away from her daughter, her eyes meeting David's. "Had you had the bravado to ask me personally, I probably would have." She replied, her tone only a sliver more condescending than mocking.

Dave's eyebrows arched. "So…?" He hinted. "Mind telling me now?"

Kerry rolled her eyes and sounded a small laugh. "Give me some of your theories." She challenged. "They tend to be much more interesting than the real story."

Dave was now on his feet and leaning against the desk, reclaiming his previous stance. "Uh…I mulled over post polio syndrome, nerve damage…muscular dystrophy…laying your Harley down in traffic?" He laughed a bit, "None of them seem very valid."

Kerry chuckled. "First of all, I'm not old enough to have had polio, thank you very much." She said, extending her index finger. Extending her second finger, she spoke again. "Secondly, I've never even been on a motorcycle." With the extension of her third finger, she finished. "And thirdly, it's a good thing you aren't into orthopedic diagnostics."

Malucci's eyebrows furrowed and he regarded Kerry again, "Don't leave me hangin', Chief."

Kerry chuckled and shook her head. "I had congenital hip dysplasia and had said hip replaced about two years ago."

Malucci was quiet for a moment as he pondered coming back with a smart ass remark, but he refrained and took the more adult route. "That's great…" he said maturely.

Kerry smirked. "It is." She agreed. "But you're right: no more threatening residents with my crutch." She shook her head in faux disappointment. "What a loss."

Malucci laughed in response before his attention was drawn towards the bay, where his wife and kids were headed from. "Hey, you guys…" he said, recieivng a running hug from his son while his daughter and Anna continued towards them.

"Daddy!" The little boy called, meeting his father in an embrace.

Dave picked him up easily, tossing him a bit. As the pair embraced, Kerry's eyes were on Anna and the girl next to her. Anna was watching the pair as well, before her eyes met Kerry's. A brilliant smile graced her lips and she walked straight to Kerry, embracing her in a loose, one-armed hug. "Kerry…wow, it's great to see you.." she said, pulling away.

Kerry smiled and nodded then allowed her eyebrow to rise slightly. "So…you and Malucci?" She asked, her tone light and playful.

Anna nodded and glanced at her husband. "County just seems to be couple-making machine." She smiled then glanced towards the girl who was standing at her side. "Kerry, this is Nicole, Dave's daughter, my step-daughter." She said, using the term 'step-daughter' only for accuracy, "Nicole, this is Dr. Weaver, daddy and I used to work with her." She explained.

Kerry smiled at the younger girl and then looked at Dave and his son. She chuckled then turned back to Anna, "I think County could be the next match dot com." She joked.

Anna laughed as well. "I wouldn't doubt it…" she agreed then looked at Rylee. "And who's this cutie?"

Kerry went on to 'introduce' Anna and Nicole to Rylee and answered all the normal, expected questions mother's seemed to have for other mother's about their children. She didn't mind answering them, though; she may not be a fan of talking about herself, but talking about her children was entirely different as the pride was mutual between all parents.

The pair chatted for only a short time, during which Dave and Liam had wondered back over, until Kerry spotted a shock of blonde hair heading towards them. She excused herself quickly and, with Rylee in her arms, met the gurney halfway.

Just as Kerry was about to speak, Kim held out a quieting hand. "CT was cleared by radiology and neurology and he's starting to come around." She said as the gurney continued to move back into the exam room.

Kerry let out a shaky sigh of relief and nodded. "Who checked it? In neuro, I mean."

Kim's eyes went upwards as she thought of the name. "Um…Thigpen? Grey haired guy, about this tall?" she questioned, holding her hand at chest level. "Not a very happy man…" That got a quiet laugh out of Juliet who was leaving the family be, taking Henry's chart with her.

Kerry watched her go then turned back to Kim. "What happened, Kim?" She asked, sitting in the chair next to Henry's bed with Rylee on her lap.

"I…I don't know." Kim ran a hand through her thick tresses and moved back and forth, pacing. "I was just…I was so scared, Kerry." She replied, her voice wavering. "He was lying there and, and I didn't know what had happened and then Dave was there and it was all such a whirlwind…but just seeing him…" the fast pace at which she was speaking slowed down as she shuddered at the last part. Kim looked up from her feet, where her eyes had been focused, and gazed into Kerry's. "I'm so sorry." She said quietly, tears visibly streaming down her cheeks.

Kerry reached out and grabbed Kim's wrist, pulling her to a halt, ceasing her relentless pacing. "It's not your fault, Kim…playground accidents happen; they've happened before and they'll happen again…did you know he had six stitches in his head when he was first learning to walk?" Kim shook her head. "He did. I wasn't there, he was with Carlos, but you should have seen how shaken up he was when they brought him into the ER…it wasn't his fault, Kim…it was an accident." She said that last part slowly, directing the words towards Kim more than she was telling a story. Kerry loosened her grip on Kim's wrist and slid her fingers through the blonde's. "It's not your fault, Kim." Kim brought her free hand up to her face and wiped the salty tears from her cheeks. She shook her head and drew in a deep breath. Kerry gave her a weak smile and pulled their conjoined hands to her mouth, brushing her lips gently across Kim's knuckles. "I love you."

Kim's eyes smiled, though her mouth stayed loose and neutral. "I love you, too."

By the time Kerry's shift had ended, Henry, though still suffering from the symptoms of the mild concussion he had sustained, was awake, Dave and his family had left with promises to 'keep in touch', and Kim had taken Rylee home, as they both knew that her naturally even temperament would soon falter if she didn't get back into at least a part of her schedule.

At about eight thirty, once Henry had been moved from the ER to the pediatric wing for overnight observation, the cell phone in Kerry's pocked began to ring. She moved swiftly, silencing it as she went out into the hallway, and answered it. "Hello?"

"Kerry, hi…it's Eliza..."

Kerry's left hand found her eyes and she rubbed them tiredly. "I'm so sorry I didn't call…"

Kerry could practically hear Eliza shaking her head over the phone. "No, no, it's alright…Kim called me." She said. "I was just calling to see how he's doing…Harper really missed him tonight."

Kerry smiled at the mention of Eliza's daughter. "He's alright…we'll bring him home tomorrow, and he'll be a little sore for a while, but he'll be fine…" She realized that she was speaking the exact words she had used in the ER, both at County and Sinai, so many times: 'he'll be fine' was especially common.

"That's good, that's good…" Eliza said. "Well, just thought I'd check in and let you know that he's in our thoughts." She said.

Kerry nodded, peering through the glass window of Henry's room. "Thank you, Eliza…I'll talk to you later."

Eliza and Kerry ended their conversation, but Kerry stayed on the outside of Henry's room; it all brought back memories of the NICU, both Henry's and Rylee's stays. Knowing he would be asleep for a while longer, she decided to head to the roof, a place she hadn't visited voluntarily since her residency. So, Kerry left word with the clerk to page her if Henry woke up and headed up.

Three floors of near silence later, Kerry was staring out at the city, the bright lights illuminating everything on the ground for hundreds and hundreds of yards around her. She leaned over the edge, her forearms resting comfortable on the concrete wall, and took in the vastness that so greatly opposed the tightness of the ward. She let her mind wonder and, not surprisingly, thoughts of Sandy began filling her mind as a result. It felt so strange, she thought to herself as she watched clusters of vehicles ride over the nearby bridge, to be parenting Henry with anyone but Sandy. Sure, Henry began calling Kim 'Momma', but when she'd seen Kim holding Henry's limp hand as they went up to CT, a pang of hurt coursed through her; no matter how much it killed her to think in such a way, she partially wished it was Sandy there. However, as her eyes tracked those passing cars until they were out of sight, she knew that, wherever Sandy was, she was telling Kerry to get over it and be thankful for the fact that she had an incredibly son and daughter and an amazing wife. A small smile found Kerry's lips as she thought about and she realized that she was, in fact, thankful; thankful for her family, her friends- both old and new-, and, more than anything, thankful for Sandy, because, without Sandy, she wouldn't be who she was or have what she had. And that thought hurt more than anything.

* * *

**A/N:** 1) Malucci was my (probably failed) attempt at adding some new humor, 2) I think I probably made Anna and Kerry much more friendly than they were, but we'll just call that creative license, 3) I don't think the whole concussion thing was accurate, but I didn't want to have to add another diologue (Henry's) so I just left him unconcious for a while. I think that's it for disclaimers, except I should probably mention that this took my about..two days to write, so a lot of it tone-wise probably doesn't match up. Ugh, I don't know. Ha, I'm rambling, both here and in the last part of the story, so I'll just leave it be. Thanks for reading and to all of you who have left reviews! It's so nice to have so much feedback...I love it! Thank you!


	8. December 10th, 2007

"Flight 231 from Amsterdam…." Kerry muttered, her eyes scanning the large digital board in front of her, "Do you see it?"

Kim, who was looking up as well, shook her head for only a moment before she smiled. "Right there…underneath London." She pointed out, "It's the…eleventh from the top."

Kerry's eyes flickered to the given row and a grin found its way to her lips when she saw the arrival time corresponded with the time on her watch. "Gate thirteen…" she said, turning to the right with Kim by her side.

As she had suspected, the passengers of flight 231 were offloading just as she and Kim arrived at the gate. They kept their distance, watching as person after person appeared.

"And you haven't seen him in how long?" Kim asked, rocking back on her heels. "How are you going to recognize him?"

Kerry gave Kim the most skeptical of looks before she redirected her focus on the gate. "About ten years, and he's hard to miss." She replied. Kim scoffed mockingly, smiling as she crossed her arms in front of her. Kerry only rolled her eyes, the anxiety and excitement she felt causing her to lose sight of her wife's humor.

Finally, after minutes and minutes of people offloading from the plane, the person they'd been waiting for stepped out, his dark eyes scanning the gate slowly, presumably searching for a shock of red hair. Kerry approached him and both of their faces formed into simultaneous smiles when their eyes locked.

This embrace, though far less extraordinary and intimate than their last that took place all those years ago in the middle of the ER, was one of the best hugs Kerry had ever experienced. "Mlungisi…" She muttered into the taller man's shoulder, squeezing her oldest friend tight.

They held on a little bit longer before they pulled away mutually. Mlungisi held Kerry out at arms' length, his hands on either of her shoulders. He scanned her up and down, smiling broadly. He settled on her face, his white teeth flashing. "You look incredible." He told her, his voice tainted with his heavy accent.

Kerry gave him a wry smile and shook her head dismissively. "And you haven't changed a bit…" she said, taking his right hand in her left and directing him to follow her to where Kim was standing just a few feet away. The blonde wore a genuine smile on her face. "Mlungisi, this is Kim Legaspi." Kerry said, "Kim, this is Mlungisi Badu." She said, dropping Mlungisi's hand so he could shake Kim's extended one.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Kim; I've heard a lot about you." He said, shaking her hand.

Kim smiled and shook right back. "Likewise…and I'm especially glad you're finally here; Kerry's been fussing over every little detail all week."

Two sets of eyes were now on Kerry and she scoffed, rolling her eyes in attempt to hide the truth. "That's not true…" she protested.

Mlungisi and Kim both laughed but it was Mlungisi who spoke up with a wink. "I'm sure it's not, Ker."

Green eyes rolled and Kerry surveyed their surroundings. "Let's go get your bags…." She said, nodding her head to the right.

No more than fifteen or twenty minutes later, Kerry was sliding into the driver's seat as Kim sat in the back and Mlungisi in the front. "We've just got to swing by Henry's grandparents' house…they're watching him and Rylee."

Mlungisi smiled as he pulled his seatbelt across himself.

Kim spoke up from the back, filling the silence. "Henry's awfully excited to see someone he's never met…"

Kerry interjected. "And Rylee likes any new face she sees."

Mlungisi smiled again. "How old is she now?" He asked.

Kerry had email him various pictures of the two kids, but the last ones had been taken in early September, when Rylee was only about eight months old. "She's just about thirteen months old." Kerry replied as they pulled out of the airport's parking lot. "And Henry will be six next month."

Mlungisi rubbed the top of his head, scratching lightly at his short, bristly hair. "He's the same age as Mila." He said, smiling at the thought of his daughter. "She'll be six in June."

Kerry smiled, a picture of Mlungisi's second child flashing through her mind. "And Ade?" She asked of his eldest son.

"He just turned nine. Saada, she's four, and Zahir is two, though I think he talks as well as his sister." He said thoughtfully, "Don't worry, I brought pictures…"

Kerry chuckled, taking a right off the freeway. "Good….those baby pictures just weren't doing it. When you told me about Ade playing soccer all I could picture was him as an infant." She grinned.

Mlungisi chuckled and nodded, his eyes settling on the road passing by.

Kerry saw the smile fade from his lips and a pang of sadness coursed through her; she had made it a priority to invite Mlungisi to spend some time over Christmas and New Years in the states; his ex-wife, Bashira, had insisted on taking their four children on vacation for the period, leaving Mlungisi completely alone for the holiday. The invite wasn't out of pity, however; Kerry and Mlungisi had been talking about getting together for months and months prior, and it just so happened that Christmas was a convenient time for both parties.

Eyes focused back on the road, they drove only a few more minutes until they were just outside of the Lopez's house. "I'll be right back…" She said, sliding out of the front seat, leaving Kim and Mlungisi behind. They sat in an awkward silence, each unsure of what to say to the other, until the front door reopened and Kerry appeared, a bundled up Henry walking down the steps in front of her, Rylee on her hip, and Rylee's diaper bag slung over her shoulder.

A burst of cold was let in when Henry yanked open the backdoor. "Momma, it's really cold!" He exclaimed dramatically, climbing in and sitting in his booster seat. Kim grinned as she helped the five year old with his seatbelt.

Another rush of cold entered the car when Kerry pulled open the opposite door. Both her and Rylee's cheeks were stained red, indicating that it really, truly was cold outside. Kim's eyes found the car's thermometer reading at the front of the car; fifteen degrees. She shivered involuntarily, despite the blasting heat from the car's vents. Kim took over the buckling of Rlyee's car seat, allowing Kerry to get out of the cold.

"Good lord, it is cold out there…" The older woman observed, shutting her door with force and stripping off her gloves to rub her hands together, skin on skin.

Mlungisi chuckled at her liveliness, directing Henry's attention towards the large stranger in the front seat. The five year old's head whipped around, his eyes settling on the side of Mlungisi he could see. "Is that your friend, Mommy? Mr. Mlung- Mlungee-" He asked, struggling on the foreign name.

Mlungisi turned a few degrees in his seat, his eyes settling on the school-aged boy and a smile forming. "Mlungisi." He corrected. "And you must be Henry." Henry nodded in response and Mlungisi held out his hand towards the little boy. "It's nice to meet you, Henry."

Henry glanced at the large hand in front of him, back up at his new friend's face, then held out his hand as well. They shook, eliciting a grin from all parties, Kerry and Kim included.

Kerry, whose hands were now warmed up, clapped them together and put the car into drive. "Home?" She questioned.

Kim and Mlungisi nodded, but Henry was the one who answered. "Home!" he chanted in agreement.

Fifteen minutes later all five of the Legaspi-Weaver Clan and Company were inside their townhouse, away from the cold.

Kerry shrugged her jacket off her shoulders before pulling Rylee's off, as well. Next came the thirteen month old's hat, which, when pulled off her head, left her thin, red locks standing up on end. The style brought a smile to Kerry's face and she smoothed it out before switching on both of Rylee's hearing aids. "Better?" She asked, pulling her hand from her chin upwards and forming it into a thumbs-up. Rylee only smiled and squirmed from where she was on the countertop, pointing downwards to the ground with great force. "Okay, okay…" Kerry responded, picking her daughter up off of the counter and bringing her towards the living room.

"Is she walking yet?" Mlungisi asked from where he was pulling out of his jacket.

Kerry deposited Rylee on the living room floor, sitting her down and pulling out a few toys for her to play with. She shook her head as she straightened back up. "Almost, though…just watch, she'll pull herself up and walk along the couch." Her head shaking turned from denial to dismay. "I think I'd like to keep her that way; Henry was a terror when he started walking." She said, smiling at her now very mobile son.

Henry, who was seated on the couch, looked up from the coloring book he was vigorously working in and spoke. "I ran first, right Mommy?" He asked proudly, taking the figure of speech literally.

Kerry and Mlungisi both chuckled. "You sure did, bud…" she replied over her shoulder, walking towards the general vicinity of the stairs. "I'm going to go show Mlungisi his room…." She said, looking at Kim who had just reappeared from the depths of the rest of the house.

Kim nodded, deciding that she'd give Kerry and her oldest friend time to themselves. "I'll keep an eye on the munchkins…" she said.

Kerry nodded, picked up one of Mlungisi's two bags, and led the way down the hall into the den that now served as a spare bedroom with him on her heels. "Right…so this is your room…" she said, pushing the door open with her hip. It was small, she knew, but the futon made a damn comfortable bed, and there was a TV and an empty closet for his clothing.

Mlungisi set his bags down to the side, prompting Kerry to do the same, gave his surroundings a quick glance and smiled, turning back to his hostess. "It's so wonderful to see you." He said, holding out his arms to embrace Kerry.

This embrace was even more intimate than the one the pair had shared in the airport terminal. It wasn't intimate in a sexual way, however; it was one of purely platonic love and adoration. It was an embrace that two friends, of 40 plus years, share when they haven't seen each other in a decade. It was the type of hug that almost made up for the ones they'd missed out on for so long, a hug that made up for the hug Kerry had needed when she'd come out, for when Kim left and for when Sandy died, and it was a hug that made up for the one that Mlungisi so could have used when his father, who acted so much like a second father to Kerry, died, and when Bashira left him, taking their children with her.

Kerry stepped back, wiping at the smallest tear that was forming in the corner of her eye. This derived a skeptical, though amused smile from Mlungisi. She scoffed and chuckled. "What? They're happy tears…" she defended. She took another step back, sitting on the edge of the fold-out futon and placing her hands in her lap. Mlungisi took a seat next to her and, for a moment, they sat in comfortable silence. The quiet was broken when Kerry spoke up again. "I feel like, with all the emailing we've done lately, there isn't much to catch up on…but there is….I just don't know what." She said, her voice soft, almost shaky.

Mlungisi nodded in understanding and agreement. He couldn't conjure up anything, either, until something popped into his mind that brought a sly smile to his lips before he even spoke it aloud. "Kim…" he began, "those photos do her no justice." He admitted. Kerry rolled her eyes and laughed, whacking him playfully on the shoulder. Mlungisi took mock offense but kept on with the teasing. "You've got good taste in women, my Kerry."

She smirked and her left eyebrow arched in question. "Of course I do." She retorted sharply.

Though someone else, a co-worker or resident or someone who didn't know the real Kerry, would have retreated at that point, Mlungisi, who was one of the people who took pride in knowing Kerry best, didn't. He only smiled and gave Kerry a brotherly kiss placed just above her hairline.

Back, ten or so years prior, on the Christmas Eve, when Mlungisi had surprised the hell out of Kerry by arriving in the ER completely out of the blue, they had made the most passionate love either had experienced with the other. They had made a half assed attempt at rekindling the flame that had always burned between the two, that weekend; they were each other's first crush and first kiss as children and, when the Weaver family moved back stateside, their relationship had been the cause of what she thought of at the time as her first real heartbreak. Then, after years and multiple boyfriends and girlfriends later, they had met back up during the early years of Kerry's residency; she had set out to do relief work in the most poverty-stricken areas of Africa after both of her parents passed away and, by complete coincidence, they had run into each other. For those short couple months they were what everyone considered an item. Everyone but them, that is; they had great, passionate sex, they hardly ever left each other's side when they weren't working, and had dozens and dozens of inside jokes, but they still only considered themselves to be best friends. Best friends with benefits, at most. Then, when the time came for Kerry to return to Chicago, they had talked through the night about what was going to happen; it had been as if, all at once, the idea that they were, in fact, a couple hit them. They had made a mutual agreement that they would go their separate ways, meet different people and form new relationships. That had worked, of course, until that night. After that, they again agreed that what they had wouldn't, couldn't work; so, from that day on, they remained best friends. Not best friends with benefits; just best friends.

Kerry brought her hand up to her eyes once more, wiping away more happy tears, and stood up from the futon. She headed for the door, expecting Mlungisi to follow, and turned back when she sensed that he wasn't tagging along. Instead, he was watching her intently. She opened her eyes wide in question.

"It's strange to see you walk like that." He admitted bluntly. Kerry gave him a strange look, unsure of how to respond. Mlungisi was quick to elaborate, "Beautiful, though…you look very free."

Kerry smiled, nodded, and motioned for him to get up and join her. "Well, you can keep watching…we're going on a tour of our abode." She joked. Mlungisi laughed shortly and joined her, heading out the door.

Halfway down the hall, Kerry stopped and turned. "I'm really glad you came." She said quietly.

Mlungisi grinned. "I don't know how I've stayed away so long."

* * *

Have you all thought I dropped off the edge of the earth? Or that this story died? Because I thought it was dead. However, I somehow conjured up an attempt at revival. Sorry if it sucks, I'm kind of making an attempt at getting back into the swing of things.


	9. December 19th, 2007

**Please, R&R. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me through this story...I still haven't given up!**

"Henry, bud, why don't you back up from the fireplace?" Kim asked, her voice holding a shadow of laughter.

Henry, who was sitting only a few feet from the fireplace with his eyes set on the bright flame, turned and frowned.

Kim chuckled again, "You look like you're about to melt."

The five year old huffed but obliged, scooting back a few more feet. Kim went back to the medical journal she held in her hands and read for a few more minutes until Henry spoke back up. "When's Mommy and Mr. Mlungisi getting home?"

Kim pulled at the sleeve of her black, cable knit sweater and shook her wrist in attempt to get her watch facing forward again. It was quarter of five. "About an hour and a half." She said as she folded over the top corner of the page she was on and set the journal down. "Which means we should get cooking, yeah?" She stated, adding an invitation of sorts at the end as she stood up from the couch.

Henry smiled and nodded quickly, scurrying up off the floor and following Kim to the kitchen.

Kim pulled various ingredients out of the fridge while Henry busied himself with towing a stool from the breakfast bar to the counter. It was somewhat of a routine they had, a tradition of sorts: on nights when Kerry was working or would be home late, Kim and Henry would work in tandem to produce dinner. And, even though neither of them were quite as adept at cooking as Kerry was, it was a good chance to bond and they had not once had a case of upset stomachs after one of their meals.

As Kim rolled out the dough for the homemade pizza they'd planned to make, Henry sat on the stool, observing. It was quiet albeit the music coming from the stereo in the living room until Henry spoke. "Are you gonna have more babies?" He asked nonchalantly, swinging his feet in the air.

Kim stopped kneading for only a second, considering Henry's question and the answer she was about to give. It was strange, she had decided a long time ago: no matter how many children she dealt with in her work, she had the hardest time reading Henry. And his monotone, completely relaxed tone when he posed this question was not helping her figure out whether or not he wanted to hear the answer she was going to give. She thought for a few moments longer, still flattening the pizza dough, until a nice, not-to-thick circle was formed. She set down the roller and looked at Henry. "I don't think so, sweetie…" she replied.

Henry, feet still kicking, nodded. "Good." He responded firmly. "Rylee's perfect, right?"

A burst of warmth and love and adoration shot through Kim. She moved a few feet to the young boy and put her hand on the side of his head and leaned down, planting a kiss on his head. "You and Rylee are perfect." She corrected.

Henry giggled and reached up, wrapping his arms around Kim's neck. "Love you, Momma."

Kim smiled and wrapped her arms around the boy who she, over the past year or so, began to truly consider her son. Sure, she had legally adopted Henry at the same time Kerry had legally adopted Rylee, but paper means nothing when it comes to emotional closeness. It was the moments and bonding like this that really set the tone of their relationship. "I love you too, buddy."

After their shared moment, Kim had put Henry to work, giving him the responsibility of spreading tomato sauce over the dough she had already rolled out while she started on another. He did so happily, getting tomato sauce all over himself in the process. Kim grimaced when she saw two red stains streaking down his tee shirt; it was new and she knew that, unless she found a way to wash the stain out discreetly, she'd be attempting to convince Kerry the shirt never even existed.

Once the cheese, peppers, mushrooms and broccoli were spread out evenly and both pies were in the oven, Kim corralled Henry upstairs and into the bathroom. When he saw his tomato sauce-stained face in the mirror, he let out a giggle.

Kim shook her head in dismay, though a smile was etched across her face, as well. "Now, Henry, you know sneaking is bad, right?" she questioned as she ran the water of the tub and stripped the kindergartner down. Henry nodded in agreement. "Well," Kim went on, "this," she motioned to the pile of tomato-soiled clothing on the ground to their left, "is going to stay between you and I, alright?"

Henry narrowed his eyes in consideration before both brown orbs lit up. "Like a secret?" He asked excitedly as Kim picked him up and plopped him down in the bathtub.

Kim tilted her head to the left then the right then shrugged. "Sure, kind of like a secret."

Henry giggled. "Mommy will be mad 'bout the mess?"

The five year old's knowledge and perception never ceased to surprise her. "She likes everything neat and clean." Kim explained lightly. "And we had a hard time staying neat and clean this time."

Henry agreed with a smile and Kim began lathering him up with soap, making sure to get every speck of tomato off his smooth face.

By the end, much how Henry was after their cooking extravaganza, she was covered, though not in tomato sauce; whether she was bathing Henry or Rylee or both, she always managed to get at least 20% of her clothing drenched. She ignored the wet dog look for the moment, focusing on rubbing Henry's arms dry instead. Just as he was almost completely dry, the sound of the front door opening snapped both of their attention towards the hall and Henry was out of their like a bullet, racing to see if his mother had any bags that could very well hold his Christmas gifts.

From the top of the stairs, Henry called out. "Mommy! Mommy! I heard you and Mr. Mlungisi come an', an' I wanted to see if you…" he trailed off when his quick moving eyes found no brightly colored gift bags or big, gift wrapped boxes.

He frowned.

Kerry placed her coat and keys on the tree and table near the door. She looked up at the sound of her son's voice and raised two eyebrows at the sight. "You're naked, bud."

Henry huffed. "And you don't have presents."

Kerry wore an amused smile and, when she glanced to her left, saw that Mlungisi was wearing one as well. She turned back when she heard Kim's voice, "Hey, you!" she called from the depth of the upper floor, her tone one that echoed how she sounded when her inner tickle monster came out. "Nekkid boys don't get to eat pizza…" she threatened.

Henry giggled and turned around, bolting back towards the bathroom only to be redirected into his bedroom where Kim was waiting with a clean tee shirt and pair of pants. When Henry had pulled on his last sock, he addressed his mother in all seriousness. "Momma, do nekkid boys really not get pizza?"

Kim shook her head "Nope." She replied seriously, though she had to secrete a smile until she turned around, heading towards the door. "Are you going to stay up here?" She asked.

Henry nodded, waving her goodbye.

Kim smiled, exited his room, and headed for the stairs. "Have a good time?" She asked, raising her eyebrow in question as to where the hell the gifts were.

"Yep, it was crazy, though…so busy we couldn't even buy anything." She replied, louder than necessary as she knew Henry was listening intently. Without speaking, she motioned towards the basement where, Kim gathered, Mlungisi and Kerry had silently brought the things they'd bought that day before either she or Henry knew they had arrived home.

The blond nodded and turned around, heading back to the upstairs of the house. "I'm going to wake up sleeping beauty…want to check the pizza? It's been in the oven for a half hour or so…"

Kerry nodded, trailing off deeper into the house, Mlungisi having already gone ahead to the guest room.

Kim opened the door to the darkened nursery and flicked on the light, turning the knob so the overhead light was still only dim. Peering into the crib, she found a conveniently awakening Rylee, looking up at her with half-lidded eyes. Kim smiled sweetly, scooping the thirteen month old up easily. She placed a soft kiss on her daughter's temple before changing her diaper and slipping on her hearing aids. When the redhead was all set, Kim positioned her on her hip and headed out of the room and down the stairs.

In the kitchen, Kerry was at the counter while Henry, who had apparently left whatever he was going upstairs, and Mlungisi sat at the table, bent over something in between them and studying it silently with great interest. Kim shot Kerry a raised eyebrow, motioning to the two males, but Kerry only shrugged before directing her attention to Rylee. "Hi, sweetie…" she signed, kissing her in the exact spot Kim had upstairs. "How long was she out?"

Kim shrugged in consideration. "Two hours, probably." She said, sitting Rylee down in her high chair at the table and buckling her in.

Kerry sliced the pizza into eight pieces each and piled them on a platter to bring to the table.

"Mr. Mlungisi, can we finish this later?" Henry asked, looking up at the much older man. "Momma made me put clothes on 'cause boys can't eat nakey." He explained seriously.

Mlungisi raised an amused eyebrow but obliged, closing the large book and setting it on the floor between the two chairs.

Once everyone was seated, plates were passed around and food was served, Kerry being extra cautious to cute Rylee's into what Kim considered to be unnecessarily small pieces. They ate with little chatter; apparently, everyone was much too hungry for talk. When there were only a few pieces left, which Kerry and Kim were sure to bring to work for lunch in the coming days, everyone gathered in  
the living room. Mlungisi was back sitting next to Henry, the book spread out on their laps and Kim was in the recliner while Kerry sat on the floor with Rylee who was so desperately trying to walk.

Kim watched intently at mother and daughter, smiling at the range of expressions they went through as Rylee tried, tried, and tried again.

The older of the two redheads knelt in front of the younger, either of her index fingers wrapped in Rylee's tiny fists. The baby would try with all of her might to pull herself up and, when she finally did, Kerry would lead her in taking a step, then another, and another. When Kerry would let go, the thirteen month old would stand on her own, then step. As soon as her leg left the ground, however, she'd wobble, then topple back onto her knees.

Kerry was all smiles the entire time.

On what had to be Rylee's eleventh attempt, she stopped getting up. Instead, she rolled over into a sitting position, her face scrunching up as if she was about to cry.

"Oh, come here, come here…" Kerry cooed, signing and holding her arms out for the infant.

Rylee only pouted, staring at her mother through bright eyes. She didn't oblige, instead pushing herself up once more until she was, again, standing on unsteady feet.

Kerry and Kim watched intently as the thirteen month old took a small step, then another, and another, until she had crossed the few feet in between where she had been and where Kerry was sitting.

Rylee's eyes widened in unison with Kerry's and Kim's as she realized what she'd just accomplished. She looked up at her mother's, a scantily toothed smile spread wide across her face.

"Oh my god..." Kim said, laughing.

Kerry glanced at Kim, then back to their daughter; Rylee's feet were still firm on the ground and she took another set of steps until she had crossed the living room ever farther.

Mlungisi and Henry were now watching intently, as well, and two smiles stretched far across their faces. "She's determined, isn't she?" Mlungisi asked.

Kerry nodded without taking her eyes off of her daughter. "She definitely is…" She murmured, her voice hushed as she continued to watch Rylee teetering across the living room.


	10. December 25th, 2007

**I am in no way proud of this chapter, but it's been chilling in my computer for way too long and today is the only time I'll have to post it for the next week or so. Sorry it's so...random? Poorly written? Whatever. Hope you find some part of it enjoyable...maybe? Ugh. **

"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Henry called from the front of the house. He had one hand on the door knob and the other was waving drastically.

Kerry toweled off her hands at the sound of her son's voice and headed down the hall. "Don't you dare open that door, Henry…" she warned, getting closer to him.

The five year old huffed. "But it's just Auntie 'Lissa and a man!" He complained, speaking of the two bodies that stood on the other side of the large door.

Kerry placed a hand on top of his brown hair and pulled the door open after taking a look through the peep hole.

"Kerry! Hi!" Melissa Legaspi greeted before glancing at Henry, who was standing all smiles at Kerry's feet. "Hey, big man!" She said before being engulfed in a hug from the kindergartner.

"Melissa, Melissa!" He said, clinging to her. "Hi!"

Kerry smiled at the embrace and took a step back from the threshold, allowing Melissa and her companion to step through. She was pulled into a hug once Henry had pulled himself away from his aunt. "It's great to see you, Meliss." She said, stepping back.

Melissa grinned and peered over Kerry's shoulder, looking deeper into the house. "Look who it is…" she said.

Kerry turned and smiled.

Kim was approaching them, Rylee walking a few feet in front of her, with a smile spread wide across her face. "Look who the cat dragged in…" she teased, pulling her sister into a tight hug.

Melissa stepped back. "Look who's walking!" she exclaimed, twisting her sister's words and kneeling in front of her niece.

She scooped the one year old into her arms and straightened back up. Looking at her surrounding family, then back at her guest, she snapped back into reality. "Right…" she chuckled, "this is my, uh, boyfriend Austin; Austin, this is my sister Kim, her partner Kerry, their son Henry, and daughter Rylee." She smiled, the words rolling off her tongue easily.

Kerry and Kim smiled at the young adult; he had dark hair and tan skin, his eyes were a dark shade of green and he was dressed to a tee in dark jeans, a rust colored tee shirt, and a brown sweater under his large, army green jacket. He stood taller than Melissa, probably at six feet, and was clean shaven. Kim might be gay, but she wasn't blind; she definitely approved.

"It's nice to meet you…" Austin smiled, holding his hand out first to Kerry, then to Kim, before giving a small wave to Henry who only smiled shyly at the stranger.

The pair shed their jackets and hung them up on the tree nearby before following Kim deeper into the house.

Melissa, with Rylee still in her arms, leaned up against the kitchen counter with a conspicuous eyebrow raised. "Who's in the shower?" She questioned the sound of water running through the pipes in the walls.

Kim turned, thinking about her sister's question, before it registered. "Mlungisi."

Melissa only stared in confusion.

"Kerry's friend."

More blank staring.

"Remember…they grew up together? He's from Kenya? Visiting over the holidays?" She rolled her eyes at her still-clueless sister. "I told you about this when you called about bringing Austin…"

Melissa shook her head and shrugged.

Blue eyes rolled again. "Well, he's in the shower."

Austin interjected, changing the subject from the light bickering between the two sisters to the thirteen month old in his girlfriend's arms. "She's even cuter in person…" he commented, smiling at the happy infant.

Kim chuckled. "And much more of a handful…" she added.

Melissa smiled, bouncing Rylee higher into her arms. "But she's just so cute!" She exclaimed, planting a furry of kisses all over Rylee's covered belly.

The infant fell into a fit of giggles until she'd had enough. She signed 'down', pointing viciously to the ground beneath them. Melissa obliged without missing a beat, setting the infant back down onto her socked feet.

Rylee went after Henry, her feet pattering against the hardwood floor in uneven steps, leaving Melissa with a huge smile still painted across her face.

"Is she good at that?" She asked, turning back to her sister.

Kim's left eyebrow arched. "Running or signing?"

Melissa chuckled. "Signing…I can tell she's got a good set of wheels on her." She replied with a wink.

Kim smiled and nodded. "She's getting better and better…I think she's catching up to Henry."

Austin and Melissa both smiled, watching as Rylee attempted to run after her brother, only to topple back over.

"Hey, Henry, no running in the house…" Kerry called out, giving her son a 'you should know better' look as she reappeared in the kitchen. She shook her head. "The last thing we need is to take a trip  
to the ER…" she smiled. "I mean, I love Abby and wish she and Luka and Joe could've made it today, but I'd rather not take a trip to see her if we don't have to."

Kim chuckled and rolled her eyes. "They're just having fun…besides, it's better if it's only them running around…when everyone else gets here, we're going to have put them all in straightjackets."

Melissa smiled. "Who is everyone else?" She asked. She knew her mom and dad would, of course, be there, as well as her brother and his family, but she wasn't sure who else would be attending Christmas dinner.

Kim rocked back on her heals. "Mom and Dad, Eric and Danielle and their kids, and I think Aunt Kate is stopping by with Drew after they go to Lori and Shawn's." She replied. "Our friends Abby and Luka Kovac were going to come with their son, Joe, but Abby had to work."

"And Henry's Uncle Carlos may stop by after his shift." Kerry interjected.

Austin's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion. "That's a lot of family."

Kim nodded and Kerry chuckled, patting the college student on the arm. "Don't worry about it…it took me a long, long time to get everyone straight."

Austin shook his head. "How long is a long time?"

Kerry tilted her head to the side. "A while…" she admitted just as the doorbell rang. "But they won't bite if you get their names wrong."

Austin chuckled weakly as Kerry left him to get the door.

Kim gave him a half smile, but Melissa only batted her away. "Good god, Kim, don't scare him off before Mom and Dad get here…" she warned, taking Austin's hand and pulling him into the living room to  
watch Henry and Rylee.

Kim laughed and went after Kerry, looking to see who the newest arrivals were.

"Jean, Kevin…" Kerry greeted, taking the older woman's outstretched hand and guiding her gently over the threshold.

The gray haired couple shook flakes of freshly fallen snow off their shoulders. "Kerry! It's wonderful to see you..." she smiled, pulling the shorter woman into a hug.

"Hey, Dad…" Kim smiled, getting in on the salutations.

When they'd all exchanged hugs and greetings, they rejoined the growing group that was residing in the living room. Mlungisi had joined the mix and was sitting on an ottoman, Rylee bouncing in his lap. He was reciting words in Swahili, a sing-songy taint making the onlookers realize it was a nursery rhyme of sorts.

Kim and Kerry looked on with smiles; they thought it was adorable that, regardless of the fact that their daughter couldn't hear the words spoken, she responded to the man's rhyming. Jean and Kevin, however, looked almost appalled.

Kim caught wind and was quick to step in, preventing any outbreak of unnecessarily rude behavior on her parent's part. "Mom, dad, this is Mlungisi Badu, Kerry's oldest friend…"

The African man looked up from Rylee, a smile still gracing his lips. He looked back at the little girl, placed her back on the floor, and stood up, holding a hand out.

Kevin Legaspi was the first to grasp it, shaking it firmly. "Kevin Legaspi…it's nice to meet you…" he said, his voice wary.

Still smiling cheerfully, Mlungisi shook back before turning his attention towards Jean, who had her hand outstretched as well. "You must be Jean?" He asked sweetly.

The older woman nodded silently.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Kim felt her ears reddening at her parent's less than open response to a man who had become a very close friend of hers. She made a mental note to address it later if need be.

Thankfully the tension ceased and Jean and Kevin immediately went towards Henry, Rylee, Melissa and Austin. They made introductions with Austin and proceeded to shower Rylee, Melissa and Henry with hugs, hellos, and other similar adorations.

In the meantime the doorbell sounded, sending Kerry and Kim, once again, towards the entrance.

An hour later, the guests included all those who had arrived earlier as well as Eric, Kim and Melissa's brother, his wife, and their three children and all fourteen people in attendance were seated in the dining room, taking up every possible inch of room there was.

There was no way anyone could say the Legaspi-Weaver Clan and Company weren't close.

Platters of ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and stuffing were passed around and soon, the clatter of Kerry's mother's good silver against porcelain plates and bowls paired with goodhearted chatter filled the room.

After Kerry had cut Henry's food into small pieces and Kim had cut Rylee's into even smaller ones, the pair caught each other's eye, giving a set of silent smiles. But, before Kerry could say anything, her attention was drawn towards her left and Kim directed hers to her right.

The rest of the evening was spent visiting and laughing, telling stories and reminiscing. What tension there had been earlier on in the evening was abolished and, by the end of the night, everyone could honestly say they had enjoyed the visit.

Kerry sat, perched on the arm of the couch, watching Rylee and Jackson, Eric and Danielle's son, on the floor with an amused smile on her face when she felt a hand pull on her shoulder from behind. Turning, her eyes caught a shock of blond and she silently allowed the person to lead her out of the living room.

"Kim, what're you doing?" She stage whispered.

Kim turned halfway and gave her a sly smile but offered no explanation.

Soon, they were standing on the back deck, the only light coming from the fake lanterns that hung from the house. The snow that had fallen that day went up to Kerry's ankles and she was suddenly thankful she was wearing shoes.

"Kim," she reiterated, "why are we out here? It's freezing..." she said, looking back at the house.

Again, Kim offered no words. Instead, she cupped Kerry's face in her hands and pulled it towards her own.

All cold was forgotten when their mouths pressed together.

Tongues explored warm crevices and made Kerry feel as if she was back in the lounge at County General, kissing Kim for the very first time all those years ago.

Hot tears of joy and love and adoration sprang to her eyes and she pulled away slowly, wrapping her arms around Kim.

Kim put her hands on Kerry's shoulder and held her at a distance, wanting to see her face.

"I love you."

Kerry squeezed her eyes shut, pushing those salty drops of water out of the corners.

"I love you too..." she said, giving a weak smile. "So, so much."


End file.
